Johannesburg – The departure of Shakes Mashaba as Bafana coach ushers in a new era for the senior men’s football team, but the new man will seriously have his work cut out.
Here are the four challenges facing the man that will be tasked with succeeding where his predecessor failed and – most importantly – getting Bafana to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Doing some coaching for a change
We are not being facetious, but Bra Shakes did very little of that. His sacking on Thursday was not necessarily related to results after he was sent packing for disciplinary reasons, however, his training methods never inspired much confidence. Bafana players seldom spoke out publicly about the horror of having to really do it themselves out there on the pitch and the new man will have to win them over with his convincing approach to tactics and nullifying the opposition, especially because it is now likely that Safa will insist on the return of previously exiled European-based players like FC Twente midfielder Kamohelo Mokotjo.
Only the best will do
Mashaba really did settle for less. This will have to change when his successor takes over the hot seat. Bafana should not be using sub-standard training pitches like the University of Johannesburg grounds in Auckland Park and Soweto when the country is littered with PSL-approved venues that are properly maintained and were used during the 2010 World Cup. The new coach will also have to step on a lot of toes behind closed doors to get his way regarding sufficient preparation, which includes flights, accommodation and the selection criteria of in-form national team players. Shakes used the media to voice his grievances, and look where that got him. Safa’s choice for the this difficult job should be a man skilled in dealing with the press and his critics overall.
Solving the goal-scoring conundrum
You can go as far back as when Pitso Mosimane was coach to realise that this has always been an issue. Those before Mashaba have often said the right things when handed the job, insisting that Bafana can be world beaters. They move very quickly to pass the buck when the going gets tough and that we do not have strikers that can deliver on the international stage became a standard response from Mashaba at his press conferences. We have possibly set the bar too high for Bafana with the crop of players available, but if a coach promises to deliver and signs his contract without any qualms when asked if he is certain about getting the job done, then that is exactly what he should do.
Modern football
It’s a general term being thrown about these days, but that is the reality for coaches these days. You simply have to keep up with the global trends and Mashaba was extremely ancient in the way he went about things. His stubborn nature didn’t leave much room for negotiation and the players, supporters and his bosses were growing increasingly despondent. Mashaba wasn’t the worst coach to be in charge of Bafana, but he certainly wasn’t the best Safa could do if you consider the options when he was appointed in July 2014. His replacement has to be a man not only clued up about how the game is evolving, but also familiar with qualification for major tournaments in Africa.
@superjourno