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Santana a lightweight in a heavyweight contest

No doubt some will probably accuse me of being caught in a time warp while others will argue that I am back with my crazy suggestions.

No doubt some will probably accuse me of being caught in a time warp while others will argue that I am back with my crazy suggestions.

You will recall that when Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira resigned, the president of the South African Football Association (Safa), Molefi Oliphant, begged him to find a replacement for us.

Parreira was also curiously encouraged to "help us" as technical advisor, something that he seemed not to be in favour of if the shoe was on the other foot.

Where is he now as Bafana fumble under Joel Santana?

Anyway, this is what Sports Indaba said in objection back in March this year:

"If Santana really has football brains and is a charismatic chap, as we are told, I don't see why he should be remote-controlled by Parreira in ensuring that there is continuity with the 'Parreira philosophy' for 2010."

On Monday a "concerned" Oliphant told us that they have confidence in Santana and his technical team. Wow!

We have played four matches and collected only four points out of 12.

The worse scenario was rather than chalking up the maximum six points against Sierra Leone, we had to settle for just one, how shameful.

This can only happen to a federation that does not have a reputable technical committee, if there is one at all.

Santana is acting like someone who is all too aware that he only needs to babble a few sweet nothings to a clueless executive committee to secure his job at the expense of a panicking nation.

Oliphant must just get off his arrogant horse and call a meeting to address the continued poor performance by Bafana Bafana.

We don't want to go to Angola to watch the 2010 African Cup of Nations finals as spectators, as happened with the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

The prospect of failing to qualify for the 2010 Afcon finals is now more than a possibility.

Things are now actually worse than when Sports Indaba earlier tried to coerce Oliphant when we said: "But for the sake of peace and stability let me save both Fifa and Safa the blushes by suggesting the following:

"One - let us immediately fill the vacuum created by Khabo Zondo's departure by replacing him with Gordon Igesund;

"Two - personal clashes aside, let's appoint Jomo Sono as technical advisor to Santana.

"The latter comes with the same charisma for bonding with players, including the experience of being a technical advisor to the Bafana Bafana team that won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

"He is still the only South African coach to have played in the final of the Afcon away from home and Sono is also the only Bafana mentor to have won a match at the World Cup finals."

Whenever Bafana Bafana are in such situations, players unjustly tend to be victims of morale-killing jibes from cynics who do that based on club affiliation in the Premier Soccer League.

The current crop cannot therefore escape the customary attacks.

This is what South Africans did to the 2006 squad as they chose to spare the likes of Oliphant.

Yes, let us dust off Sono whose Jomo Cosmos club will be campaigning in the National First Division next season.

But that remains my Plan B and dare Santana squeal he should be told to get out of town there and then with those who hired him.

Whoever said football coaches like Santana are hired not to be fired must stick to boxing.

Bafana's situation is more than desperate.

As you must have realised by now Mr Oliphant, making players happy is not good enough if you expose them to a football lightweight.

Enough is enough!

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