The venom of the derisory boos and jeers that greeted the national football team on their return from the African Nations Cup this week was unprecedented, as was President Thabo Mbeki’s indignation with their dismal performances in Egypt.
“How big was their crime?” coach Ted Dumitru asked as his players stumbled home.
“Heinous” is unfortunately the answer from a country that doesn’t handle sporting failure very well. Dumitru has been fired.
South African Football Association chief executive Raymond Hack was refreshingly frank and candid about the team’s shortcomings.
“Sometimes you hit the lowest of lows and we’re there right now. We can only go up from here. We still believe we have the talent and the players to compete.”
However, he acknowledges that those players just aren’t good enough right now.
“If you look at players like Samuel Eto’o, they command regular places in their teams, some of the top teams in Europe. Our guys don’t. Our highest profile player is probably Benni McCarthy and even he doesn’t play regularly for his club,” says Hack.
Inexperience was certainly a major factor for a youthful, enthusiastic, but badly outclassed Bafana in Egypt.
A core of well-prepared players with plenty of high-pressure internationals under their belts is the minimum requirement for 2010, as is a coach who has been appointed more than a few days before the tournament.
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