FORMER British prime minister Winston Churchill once described his rival Clement Attlee as a modest man with much to be modest about.
FORMER British prime minister Winston Churchill once described his rival Clement Attlee as a modest man with much to be modest about.
How we wish someone could ask the South African soccer fraternity that, like Attlee, they have a lot to be modest about and should therefore behave in keeping with their realities.
It is amazing that a nation that struggles to beat the likes of Madagascar and New Zealand would think itself too important for a tournament that pits Southern African teams against each other.
As it is, none of our neighbours are coming to South Africa for next year's World Cup. None, except hosts Angola, are regarded as serious contenders for the Cup of Nations earlier in the year.
At club level, with the exception of Orlando Pirates' victory in the Champions Cup in 1995, our teams are perennial also-rans in the Champions League and Confederations cups.
South African and Southern African soccer is in a bad shape. The sooner those who lead the game in this country and in the region accept this reality, the sooner they might start working at putting plans in place to arrest the malaise.
Ranked 85th in the world, Safa cannot continue to behave as it did when we were among the top 20 football playing nations in the world.
It should spend sending "a development" side to the Cosafa Cup when the so-called developed side is nothing to write home about.
We need to become a modest football nation because we have much to be modest about.
Sad state of SA football
FORMER British prime minister Winston Churchill once described his rival Clement Attlee as a modest man with much to be modest about.
FORMER British prime minister Winston Churchill once described his rival Clement Attlee as a modest man with much to be modest about.
How we wish someone could ask the South African soccer fraternity that, like Attlee, they have a lot to be modest about and should therefore behave in keeping with their realities.
It is amazing that a nation that struggles to beat the likes of Madagascar and New Zealand would think itself too important for a tournament that pits Southern African teams against each other.
As it is, none of our neighbours are coming to South Africa for next year's World Cup. None, except hosts Angola, are regarded as serious contenders for the Cup of Nations earlier in the year.
At club level, with the exception of Orlando Pirates' victory in the Champions Cup in 1995, our teams are perennial also-rans in the Champions League and Confederations cups.
South African and Southern African soccer is in a bad shape. The sooner those who lead the game in this country and in the region accept this reality, the sooner they might start working at putting plans in place to arrest the malaise.
Ranked 85th in the world, Safa cannot continue to behave as it did when we were among the top 20 football playing nations in the world.
It should spend sending "a development" side to the Cosafa Cup when the so-called developed side is nothing to write home about.
We need to become a modest football nation because we have much to be modest about.