Safa sets targets for national teams
SOUTH African Football Association laid out plans for all their national sides to be in the top three in Africa by 2020 and inside the world's top 20 in the longer term.
THINKING BIG: Safa chief executive Robin PetersenThe concept was unveiled yesterday by the association's chief executive Robin Petersen, who briefed the media on the findings of the first technical symposium held last weekend. "The first step to thinking big is to set goals," said Petersen.
"We want to be in the top three at all national levels on the continent and inside the top 20 in the world.
"We have been there once and now need to be there consistently - and to do that, you have to put in place structures that will help you achieve this."
The symposium, highly rated by the members who were present, was initiated by Safa following last year's dismal showing by the national teams.
Bafana Bafana failed again to qualify for the second successive Africa Cup of Nations, while the junior sides - the Under-23s and Under-20s - failed in their Olympic qualifiers and regional Cosafa Championship tournaments.
The first phase of planning, termed the "discovery and diagnosis", involved the association engaging with coaches and former players in candid discussions on how the local game should be run.
Bafana have steadily declined since the golden era of the 1990s, when they reached their highest ranking of 16th in the world, despite the Premier Soccer League brand prospering financially in recent years.
From March until the second symposium in July, Safa will be aiming at creating a "comprehensive" strategic plan in their second phase of "decision and deployment".
The third and final phase of the plan will be the implementation.
The focus will start at grassroot level, where Safa wants to implement competitiveness from early age, while stimulating school and academy soccer.
More importantly, data will be captured of all the coaches and players in the country, ensuring that every one of them is recorded in Safa's base.
HoiMash69
I was hoping you guys would say by 2015 as that poses a great challenge to the coach and staff to take a stab at making it possibleReport Abuse
heitahola7
I think its too late for this, we are an embarasment already. How come you top dogs didnt think of this years ago. No national team achieves greatness without plans. 2020 is far too long. You should have said 2015 at least just like HoiMash69 said, kept it to your self that it is actually 2020. Then the heat was going to be on. Im tired of talking about thisReport Abuse
ACHILLES
yea ryt,what else is new? year in and year out there's symposiums to improve the state of football but none of them eva have ouputs,p!ss off SAFA...im just as tired of this crap Heitahola7........Report Abuse
Papage
These is a Group of Idiots who dreams on all the time, they could not read the AFCON Rules and now they come with their dream, we need a team as in yesterday, dont talk like politicians, we have boys who can play, give them a coach not a mogoe.Report Abuse
MokankanyaneM
South Africa's problems lie with the all too powerful PSL and its chairman who everybody seems to be afraid of and are holding the nation to ransom pursuing their selfish vendettas.My advice to Minister Mbaks:
Disband SAFA, tell, no, instruct the PSL to cooperate or face isolation from the rest of the world until they sober up.
Let them lose sponsorship and revenue because they are so full of themselves.
Ba re ge o tagilwe ke jwala go kaone ka ne gosasa bo tswele, mara go tagwa ke maatla jwalo ka PSL ke mathata ka gore you will never sober up.
Report Abuse
Smondene
Mr Petersen your strategic plan sounds good however this should be put into practice.Please do us a favour and give Clive Barker a chance.I am aware that you are not hiring coaches but please consider this in your plans or you may influence if you want to achieve your goals.Mark my words,there is no coach who has achieved so much with the national team except Clive.He layed the foundation and Bafana used to play a beautiful football. Bafana was ranked 16th in the world and I can recall this very well, it had happened during Clive Barker's coaching days. Please do not be fooled by others who prefers foreign coaches.Report Abuse