Is Danny Jordaan going to save SAFA?

That’s today's everybody's question.

To start with, it should unreservedly accepted that Danny Jordaan's credentials and visionary spirit are outstanding. He has the kind of leadership personality which attracts recognition both locally and internationally and that could be a significant advantage when faced with extremely difficult challenges of reviving South African football.

I assume that Jordaan's constant exposure to various aspects of international football administration has been an invaluable source of learning on how success is achieved and sustained in football. What the previous SAFA leadership did not bothered to acknowledge was the key - world-wide - reason for football administrations' failures, which is: DISMAL PERFORMANCES IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS.

In all such cases football leaders become victims of their own ignorance by denying recognition and implementation to those FUNDAMENTAL PREREQUISITES responsible for success in international football: TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND RELEVANT COMPETITIONS (other secondary factors are important too).

The last time when the conditions for proper development and performance improvement were respected at SAFA was in 1995/6 when Stix Morewa supported our recommendation to use INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE in establishing youth projects (FIFA rated them as 'the best concept/methodology in the world' at that time) and also in formulating technical solutions for ALL national teams (1996 AFCON success was part of that initiative).

Then SAFA' self-destructive policies that followed after 1996, mainly the complete disregard of achievements and positives of 1995/6 technical programs, have been the cause of crises and continuous decline. It is baffling that in recent years the leadership of SAFA has been pursuing the irrational plan of importing coaching knowledge, youth development methodologies and football related scientific data from countries of completely contrasting game environment, culture and social conditions.

Those artificial solutions are to a large extent the reason why now Danny Jordaan has to SAVE SAFA. It was last year in the Technical Committee (SAFA) when clear evidence was produced concluding that "YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTS, METHODS of TRAINING and GAME MENTALITIES' are only SUCCESSFUL IN THOSE RESPECTIVE CULTURES and ENVIRONMENTS THAT PRODUCED THEM. CONTRASTING BIO-CULTURAL, SOCIAL, CLIMATIC AND NUTRITIONAL FACTORS CAN NULIFY EVEN THOSE CONCEPTS, METHODS OR PERFORMANCE MENTALITIES THAT ARE REGARDED AS BEING THE BEST IN THE WORLD". It's obvious that this vital evidence is still to be accepted at SAFA.

I have the feeling that Danny Jordaan will initiate radical changes as he is fully aware that there is no other alternative. All the best, Danny!

By Dumitru Ted