“We want [Mamelodi] Sundowns to go to Japan and Bafana Bafana to go to Russia – to the World Cups of club and country.”
That was the clear message from South African Football Association ( Safa)‚ Danny Jordaan‚ at OR Tambo international airport on Wednesday after newly crowned continental club champions Sundowns returned to SA.
Sundowns will become the first SA side to participate in the Fifa Club World Cup in Japan in December‚ while Bafana Bafana will continue their quest for a place to Russia in the 2018 World Cup.
Jordaan is confident that the national team can draw strength from Sundowns’ victory in the same way the 1996 African Cup of Nations-winning Bafana side benefited from the Orlando Pirates team that won the Champions League in 1995.
“The last continental trophy we won as South African football was in 1996 at the African Cup of Nations.
"We have not been champions of anything [since]. The closest we came was with the under-17 side that made the final in Senegal‚ and now we have champions again‚” the Safa president said.
“It will certainly boost the game just like it did before.
“If you look at 1995 when Pirates won‚ in 1996 we won the African Cup of Nations.
"It just lifts everybody – coaches‚ players and fans.
"It shows that we are competitive on the continent. We are champions of the highest level of club football on the continent.”
Jordaan also expressed his excitement and Downs breaking new grounds by being the first side from SA that will take on the world’s best clubs in Japan later this year.
“Now with Sundowns going to the Club World Cup‚ it gives them a huge opportunity.
"Those are frontiers we have never been in before‚ it is another first for South African football‚” he said.
“I was impressed with Sundowns in the first round because many of those players in the Zamalek side came from the Egyptian national team and many of them are top performers in the Egyptian national team. Sundowns played them off the park.”
Sundowns’ success‚ Jordaan believes‚ will rub off on the national team and he hopes Bafana will maintain a similar level of consistency.
“It means that our players must believe in their abilities and our coaches must believe in our players.
"It cannot be that on a good day we can beat Spain and on a bad day we can lose against Gambia – that is the range in which our players perform.
“The one thing that is required in international football is consistency‚ and Sundowns has shown that consistency.
"You cannot be a world beater one match and then lose the next one.” - TMG Digital
Jordaan calls on Bafana to emulate Sundowns ahead of 2018 World Cup
“We want [Mamelodi] Sundowns to go to Japan and Bafana Bafana to go to Russia – to the World Cups of club and country.”
That was the clear message from South African Football Association ( Safa)‚ Danny Jordaan‚ at OR Tambo international airport on Wednesday after newly crowned continental club champions Sundowns returned to SA.
Sundowns will become the first SA side to participate in the Fifa Club World Cup in Japan in December‚ while Bafana Bafana will continue their quest for a place to Russia in the 2018 World Cup.
Jordaan is confident that the national team can draw strength from Sundowns’ victory in the same way the 1996 African Cup of Nations-winning Bafana side benefited from the Orlando Pirates team that won the Champions League in 1995.
“The last continental trophy we won as South African football was in 1996 at the African Cup of Nations.
"We have not been champions of anything [since]. The closest we came was with the under-17 side that made the final in Senegal‚ and now we have champions again‚” the Safa president said.
“It will certainly boost the game just like it did before.
“If you look at 1995 when Pirates won‚ in 1996 we won the African Cup of Nations.
"It just lifts everybody – coaches‚ players and fans.
"It shows that we are competitive on the continent. We are champions of the highest level of club football on the continent.”
Jordaan also expressed his excitement and Downs breaking new grounds by being the first side from SA that will take on the world’s best clubs in Japan later this year.
“Now with Sundowns going to the Club World Cup‚ it gives them a huge opportunity.
"Those are frontiers we have never been in before‚ it is another first for South African football‚” he said.
“I was impressed with Sundowns in the first round because many of those players in the Zamalek side came from the Egyptian national team and many of them are top performers in the Egyptian national team. Sundowns played them off the park.”
Sundowns’ success‚ Jordaan believes‚ will rub off on the national team and he hopes Bafana will maintain a similar level of consistency.
“It means that our players must believe in their abilities and our coaches must believe in our players.
"It cannot be that on a good day we can beat Spain and on a bad day we can lose against Gambia – that is the range in which our players perform.
“The one thing that is required in international football is consistency‚ and Sundowns has shown that consistency.
"You cannot be a world beater one match and then lose the next one.” - TMG Digital
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