Mokoena is talking gobbledygook

Walter Mokoena thinks the reason why Bafana Bafana is struggling is due to the league having fewer clubs (Read full story here: Mokoena: PSL is too small - http://goo.gl/grsqX).  If you think about it, more clubs in the Premier Soccer League plays very nicely in the hands of the agents.

The problem is not the less numbers we have, it is quality all round.  In the quality department, I include; players, coaches, administrators, media and supporters. We lack overall quality to make sure the game produces the right players for Bafana.

Think about a route a player has to take to become an established star in this country… nelements involve:

• Knowing the right people
• A little talent
• Luck

The path is so narrow and no wonder we struggle in the Premier Soccer League. First, our players are not hungry to succeed.  Our coaches are still stuck on old school methods of coaching. Our media is so subjective, all they seek is drama. Our supporters are drama queens who think they are coaches and our administrators are slightly improved, but yet to realise world class standards (registration of players, scouting, valuation of youth systems and reserve leagues).

Now this Walter character wants to add 2 to 4 teams to ride the gravy train that is an extra 300 people per club (300 X 4 is a lot of people to share in ABSA’s donation). How do we just increase the numbers when we do not even have to basics right?

Coaching for example, easily one of the biggest problems in this country - you would swear people would make that a priority of note by making a path for young people who would love to coach, have programs that exposes young people to world class training methods, that they can share with various young players. School level… if ya’ll think I am lying, go to any school that plays soccer on Wednesday, tell me if they have a full time coaching staff (head coach, assistant, physical trainer)… now seeing that we love comparing so much, let us forget the Spain, England and Italy for now and compare with the local sporting codes.

Cricket and Rugby dominating schools, you will note that they do have a program dedicated to some staff members being coaches in the school, and they always have reports for the upper tier about the progress of their players. Going to varsity, you are already used to the coaching methods; your IQ of there is a little higher. (That’s what coaches do for a player) – I can expand on this point, but we know people do not like to read.

The other basic element is… ”players”… as a player, you have to possess two things that makes or breaks you in the professional game.

• IQ for the game (Mentally)
• Physique

As a player, your IQ for the game must be higher than the average. Ever hear someone say, “That player see spaces where no one sees it”… of you do, it takes an intelligent player to see those kinds of things and make the right decisions in the high tempo game.  Also, as a player, you need to understand that you will have days where you will want to quit and leave it all behind cause of injuries, dip of form, media scandals, etc… you have to have the right frame of mind to rise above that and carve your own legacy the way you see fit.

Another one is; what do you do when the chips are down? I will give you an example: 2004-2005 season - Kaizer Chiefs needed a victory against Bush Bucks to stay on course and they were 3-1 down with 10 minute to go (away from home)… cause of mental strength of the players as a team, they go on to win the game 4-3 and eventually win the league. Also, last year… Orlando Pirates had at least four games where they could have given up (particularly against Bidvest Wits)… they got points that no other team could have gotten out of those games that lead to them winning silverware. That is a mind of a champion at work. How do you instill it in the players? You don’t do that by adding 2 to 4 teams in the league… you work with them from an early age like they do in Holland or Rugby.

Physical attributes: People forget that as a professional soccer player, your body is your temple.  As a player, you are what we call an athlete, your muscles should fire more neurons than the average, you are a pillar if physical fitness. You don’t need to be a beef cake that bench presses 100 kg at the gym, but your position will determine how you carve your attributes. You must be able to operate like a new machine, working at high tempo for a long time.

When you get into this league with that mentality, you should know that every player in this league also wants to outlast you. I remember people praising Shakes for his passing abilities while fat, fcuk that, the man was too fat to play the sport… he gave you nothing in defense and never made any runs that a normal player in his position should have made. If you start a game with him, you will be sure that he will not finish it.

I would be very insulted if they picked him over me (if I was a player fighting for position with him).  When you are fit, the game is so much easier to play, you make runs better, you pass better, you trap better.  Now if you struggle with your first touch already (like many of our PSL players)… when you are asked to play in the dying minutes of the game, your performance will decline… true athletes excel around that time of the game.

Also, it helps being faster, bigger and skillful. Collins Mbesuma failed in Europe cause when he got there, he thought he would bull doze like he did here… only to find out that not only are those defenders as big as him, they also much fitter and quicker than him. Bongani Khumalo is also experiencing the same predicament, it is not about just the talent… it is also about the body you bring that talent through… 2-4 teams extra in the league will not improve that.

Comes my favourite, supporters; we do not have quality support in this country. The PSL is divided between 2 teams… and everybody else is fighting for scraps, some have more than others.  How would adding an extra 2-4 teams help with the perception that there are more Chiefs fans in PE than Bay United?? Or More Pirates fans in Mpumalanga that Aces fans?

I feel if I go any deeper in these issues, I will quit liking soccer… my main point is; Walter is talking rubbish… extra teams would mean as an agent, he would benefit as he would dazzle other teams in buying his players. Our systems of the game and how it operates will bite us in the butt while the money will land in the arms of players and agents… riding in the sunset.

By Bra Pule