- Target:
- South African Football Association (SAFA)
- Region:
- South Africa
Despite successfully hosting the 2010 World Cup, South African football at grassroots level is in a disorganised and totally under-funded state. Facilities are very poor across the country, particularly in rural areas. Many kids from the townships do not have properly organised clubs that play within established league structures. Many if not all those kids from the rural areas have to go into the towns and cities to develop their football.
The league structures across the country are too fragmented and diluted across the country, with too many regions, resulting in weaker leagues and subsequently weaker junior structures. There has to be a strength versus strength situation again.
There is too much corruption at all levels of the game. Coaches, referees and administrators need to be coached well, and semi-professional clubs in the Castle, Vodacom and National First Division should be made to have their own junior and reserve teams, and if they don't fulfill that criteria they should amalgamate with others. The under 23 rule should be abolished with immediate effect as it does not promote development.
A sustainable system should be put in place, even if it means starting with a clean slate. SAFA National Executive Committee members should serve for a limited time-period only. Members who have ownership of PSL clubs should not be serving on SAFA's National Executive Committee.
If you agree with the following sentiments expressed, please feel free to sign this petition, and forward to as many like-minded friends as possible. Hopefully we can get some decent numbers behind this and get someone that matters to take note. Thanks. ----
Message to SAFA: Well done for finally giving Gordon Igesund the chance to lead Bafana. Set high standards for the National team by all means, but have faith in your coach long-term to build the team with stability and not the constant menace of possibly getting fired because of the odd bad result, as happened with Clive Barker all those years ago. Admit that as an Executive you have made many mistakes as a collective and take the time and trouble to show some leadership and listen to the people that keep you in a job. You are in your position of authority because of us and FOR us, not for yourself and your own ambitions, monetary or otherwise.
The time is ripe now to re-evaluate the whole system that we have been forced to adopt in SA, and look at what will bring us sustainable success, create those plans, IN CONJUNCTION with people at grassroots level and beyond, and have the courage to begin implementing them. SAFA, please bear in mind that there is no short-cut to achieving this, and as we have faith in our National coach to hopefully qualify us for WC 2014, we must remember that come 2018 and beyond we should be in a far better position in terms of having a decent system in place, whereby kids of all races have a fair opportunity to develop to their full potential, so that coaches like Gordon will have the luxury of choosing the best of the best.
There are many more Khumalo's, Furmans, Pienaars and Deena Naidoos out there that will in time to come give South Africa a strong mix and talent that offer different qualities, to choose from. To put it bluntly: show some balls and do what is right, for all the right reasons. Save Our Soccer!
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The SAFA (South African Football Association), Save Our Soccer! petition to South African Football Association (SAFA) was written by Save Our Soccer and is in the category Football at GoPetition.