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dry stands worrisome

Mcelwa Nchabeleng

Mcelwa Nchabeleng

While many South African football fans are understandably disappointed with Bafana Bafana's cheerless display, Parliament is worried with the dwindling support at the national team's matches recently.

The prevailing situation has prompted Butana Komphela, the chairman of parliamentary portfolio committee on sport, to call PSL teams' spokesmen to Parliament on Tuesday in a desperate move to come up with a solution to the problem.

The committee is trying to come up with an ambitious move to mobilise support for Bafana Bafana to avoid embarrassment when South Africa hosts the Confederations Cup next year and the 2010 World Cup finals.

But the gathering on Tuesday turned out to be a damp squib after only two PROs turned out for the meeting.

The hastily convened meeting was only attended by Bloemfontein Celtic's Sello Nduna and Boebie Schloss of Santos.

Mvuso Mbebe from the SABC was also in attendance and was praised by the committee for the Siyanqoba campaign, the initiative of the national broadcaster to mobilise support for Bafana.

Some of the PROs are said to have failed to attend because the were told on short notice.

Phori Lichakane, the coordinator of the committee, confirmed the meeting to Sowetan yesterday.

He said the committee members were due to meet yesterday to decide on a new date for a follow-up meeting where they intend to invite all the stakeholders of the beautiful game.

"We did not discuss much on this issue because we had only two PROs but we intend having all of them in our follow-up meeting," Lichakane said.

"We are also going to invite Safa, PSL and 2010 Local Organising Committee. We should come up with an aggressive move to mobilise support for Bafana Bafana. Club PROs should convert their teams' support into our national team. It is very crucial for us to rally behind our team as we prepare for 2010," Lichakane said.

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