Comments on: South Africa’s Search for a National Playing Style http://www.footballiscominghome.info/the-hosts/south-africa-search-for-national-style/ Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:33:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Editor http://www.footballiscominghome.info/the-hosts/south-africa-search-for-national-style/comment-page-1/#comment-2000 Editor Mon, 02 Aug 2010 09:15:46 +0000 http://www.footballiscominghome.info/?p=2616#comment-2000 Solomon is right to call attention to South Africa's position as a target destination for internal African migration of football talents. Tunisia and Egypt also fall into this category, although I don't have the precise numbers of 'foreign Africans' in these leagues. But it seems clear that South African football, like its corporate business sector, has an unequal relationship with the rest of Africa -- which some analysts point to as an example of postapartheid South Africa's "sub-imperial role" on the continent. Nigeria and Ghana are trying to imitate the South African PSL's corporate model by building a different kind of domestic league with major sponsors and TV contracts. I have my doubts as to whether these plans will work out for the benefit of domestic football. Solomon is right to call attention to South Africa’s position as a target destination for internal African migration of football talents. Tunisia and Egypt also fall into this category, although I don’t have the precise numbers of ‘foreign Africans’ in these leagues. But it seems clear that South African football, like its corporate business sector, has an unequal relationship with the rest of Africa — which some analysts point to as an example of postapartheid South Africa’s “sub-imperial role” on the continent.
Nigeria and Ghana are trying to imitate the South African PSL’s corporate model by building a different kind of domestic league with major sponsors and TV contracts. I have my doubts as to whether these plans will work out for the benefit of domestic football.

]]> By: Solomon Waliaula http://www.footballiscominghome.info/the-hosts/south-africa-search-for-national-style/comment-page-1/#comment-1981 Solomon Waliaula Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:17:05 +0000 http://www.footballiscominghome.info/?p=2616#comment-1981 I agree with the slant of the discourse, but I also want to add that like England, South Africa runs the risk of attracting the best African players to its club football stage, which obviously deals a big blow to the development of home talent. The last time I checked, the elite clubs in South Africa had a considerable proportion of players from Zambia, Zimbabwe, DRC Congo, Nigeria and so on. That is a worrying trend! Egypt and Spain have one thing in common, there national team players are mainly drawn from perhaps two or three dometic clubs...and of course the other side of the coin is that even when a country, like Ivory Coast of Nigeris for instance, has tremendous football talent, if their club football stetches them out between Western tip to the Eatern tip of Europe, playing in very different club formations and sometimes being converted from creative to spoiler players in the process (such as Nigerian's Chelsea based Obi Mikel), then the national team of such a country doesnt dom well. I agree with the slant of the discourse, but I also want to add that like England, South Africa runs the risk of attracting the best African players to its club football stage, which obviously deals a big blow to the development of home talent. The last time I checked, the elite clubs in South Africa had a considerable proportion of players from Zambia, Zimbabwe, DRC Congo, Nigeria and so on. That is a worrying trend! Egypt and Spain have one thing in common, there national team players are mainly drawn from perhaps two or three dometic clubs…and of course the other side of the coin is that even when a country, like Ivory Coast of Nigeris for instance, has tremendous football talent, if their club football stetches them out between Western tip to the Eatern tip of Europe, playing in very different club formations and sometimes being converted from creative to spoiler players in the process (such as Nigerian’s Chelsea based Obi Mikel), then the national team of such a country doesnt dom well.

]]> By: Peter http://www.footballiscominghome.info/the-hosts/south-africa-search-for-national-style/comment-page-1/#comment-1978 Peter Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:30:59 +0000 http://www.footballiscominghome.info/?p=2616#comment-1978 Thanks for the excellent points Gerard and Rodney. Thabo Dladla supports what you are saying in his podcast interview with me (more here http://afripod.aodl.org/2010/05/episode-41-2010-world-cup-and-grassroots-soccer/). I have also written about this issue on this blog, in academic journal articles (see Politikon 2007) and in African Soccerscapes too. I do believe it is important to strategize how to implement changes on the ground. SA soccer, like US soccer, is still too dominated by antiquated ideas and coaches enamored by English kick-and-rush. Fresh approaches and ideas will be needed for youth development programs in townships and rural areas. It's all linked together. Putting people before profits and expressing who we are with a new SA style is part of it. And with lots of hard work, qualified people, and investment from government and other sources an alternative future is possible. Thanks for the excellent points Gerard and Rodney. Thabo Dladla supports what you are saying in his podcast interview with me (more here http://afripod.aodl.org/2010/05/episode-41-2010-world-cup-and-grassroots-soccer/). I have also written about this issue on this blog, in academic journal articles (see Politikon 2007) and in African Soccerscapes too.

I do believe it is important to strategize how to implement changes on the ground. SA soccer, like US soccer, is still too dominated by antiquated ideas and coaches enamored by English kick-and-rush. Fresh approaches and ideas will be needed for youth development programs in townships and rural areas. It’s all linked together. Putting people before profits and expressing who we are with a new SA style is part of it. And with lots of hard work, qualified people, and investment from government and other sources an alternative future is possible.

]]> By: Rodney http://www.footballiscominghome.info/the-hosts/south-africa-search-for-national-style/comment-page-1/#comment-1977 Rodney Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:30:32 +0000 http://www.footballiscominghome.info/?p=2616#comment-1977 Agreed! The problem with South African football, far too often, is that it wants to sprint before it is even able to crawl. It's the arrogance and snootiness that permeate us as a nation and bedevil our progress, not just on the football field but in other areas as well. Instead of seeing structure, grassroots, development, nurture, gradual, time, patience, long-term, SA football only sees money, competition, instant gratification, immediate glory, short-term gain, avarice and "how do I get a piece of it all for myself'. It's a sad state of affairs, but has been the status quo for the last 16 years. Post- World Cup, there has been more positive talk, and it is to be hoped that the game's administrators are intent on walking the talk. Agreed! The problem with South African football, far too often, is that it wants to sprint before it is even able to crawl. It’s the arrogance and snootiness that permeate us as a nation and bedevil our progress, not just on the football field but in other areas as well. Instead of seeing structure, grassroots, development, nurture, gradual, time, patience, long-term, SA football only sees money, competition, instant gratification, immediate glory, short-term gain, avarice and “how do I get a piece of it all for myself’. It’s a sad state of affairs, but has been the status quo for the last 16 years. Post- World Cup, there has been more positive talk, and it is to be hoped that the game’s administrators are intent on walking the talk.

]]> By: Gerard Akindes http://www.footballiscominghome.info/the-hosts/south-africa-search-for-national-style/comment-page-1/#comment-1976 Gerard Akindes Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:10:46 +0000 http://www.footballiscominghome.info/?p=2616#comment-1976 Ptiso Mosimane is a national team coach. Only wins and losses will counts and define his. That may happen with some luck and descent tactical organization and discipline. But a long term transformation of South African football is bigger project that requires another level organization, long term planning and discipline. South African townships and many African cities are fertile grounds for talent. But it shouldn't be like gold or diamond mines where only extracting and selling matters. Good structures have to be put in place to nurture the football development of these millions of youngsters. Safe and clean playgrounds for free, creative and undirected play, constant training of youth coaches, and re-rooting the game within the players communities are some directions to consider for the long term development of the game. That where the South African style of playing will occur and then determine Bafana Bafana’s playing style. Ptiso Mosimane is a national team coach. Only wins and losses will counts and define his. That may happen with some luck and descent tactical organization and discipline. But a long term transformation of South African football is bigger project that requires another level organization, long term planning and discipline.
South African townships and many African cities are fertile grounds for talent. But it shouldn’t be like gold or diamond mines where only extracting and selling matters. Good structures have to be put in place to nurture the football development of these millions of youngsters. Safe and clean playgrounds for free, creative and undirected play, constant training of youth coaches, and re-rooting the game within the players communities are some directions to consider for the long term development of the game. That where the South African style of playing will occur and then determine Bafana Bafana’s playing style.

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