Bafana Bafana name change long overdue

Upon surfing the net this afternoon, I see that Safa are headed in the direction of a name change, among other things, for Bafana Bafana.

Well, it’s about damn time isn’t it?

Safa, which is the one sports body in South Africa that will always be in the headlines for screw-ups and double dealing and not for events on the field, took the resolution at a national executive committee meeting in Johannesburg recently. Safa president Kirsten Nematandani, Danny Jordaan and Alpha Mchunu are the individuals who have been appointed to see a change in a name which originated from the Sowetan’s sports department (former sports editor Molefi Mika, his deputy Sello Rabothata and S’busiso Mseleku) after the team was re-admitted to international football in 1991.

This action most likely wouldn’t have been taken if it weren’t for Safa losing its legal battle with businessman Stanton Woodrush, who owns the Bafana Bafana trademark. How Safa didn’t come to acquire ownership is just another mistake at an organisation that doesn’t have the best attitude towards corporate governance or spending. Heck, we don’t even know for sure whether former CEO Leslie Sidibe was fired or resigned. Reports have emerged that he received R1.3 million from the World Cup LOC for work done at the event. Sidibe couldn’t be reached for comment by local news media. Go figure.

Still, it’s about time this decision was taken and Woodrush’s ownership of the Bafana Bafana brand will prove a blessing in disguise for the embattled Safa leadership. Bafana Bafana means “the boys” in Zulu, not exactly the most endearing of images for our top soccer players to think about when donning the national jersey. There are also historical considerations, since it is and was a demeaning term used by those who wished to reduce the gravitas of the subject, often in racist circumstances. Considering the country we live in and the break with the past South Africa has been trying to achieve in its quest for a united country — still very much a dream today, yet not impossible — it would only be right to allow the national soccer team to start a new legacy with a name that suits their style of play and what they bring to the homes of South Africans everywhere.

What that new name could be is an extremely difficult question to answer, since even from the outset it can be approached from many sides. Whatever the committee chooses, once they finally get there (and something tells me this is going to take some time in the disorganised Safa fashion) let’s hope it’s a name the players, management and the country as a whole can be proud of.

So to Safa I say this: please, for goodness sake, don’t screw this up. Names are very important since they have a habit of defining what they signify, so once again, get it right and please do so the first time.

By Adam Wakefield
www.sportsleader.co.za/adamwakefield