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PSL must pay for success
28/09/2007 13:41 - (SA)
Tumo Mokone
The question on the lips of those worried about the shabby state of South African soccer this week, when Absa and the PSL announced the R500m sponsorship for the Premier League, was how much of that windfall is going to be channeled into development.
Granted, the Premier League is not supposed to be the stage on which issues of development are addressed. But given the awful quality of football in our league, it is imperative that a substantial amount of this money is used to strengthen the first division and the reserve league, where new and fringe players, or players returning from injuries, can be given a run.
The PSL introduced the reserve league for the first time last year. It was however limited to Gauteng-based teams, with insufficient funds cited as the limiting factor. Money should not be a problem anymore, and reserve leagues must be launched in other regions as a matter of urgency.
The first division is the Premier League's feeder structure, and for years on end it's provided poor teams to the bigger league because of its extremely low standards. This year the division returns to the dark days of two streams - coastal and inland - all because it has lost its title sponsor of five years.
The delayed kick-off of the first division finally gets underway today, with Durban's Nathi Lions hosting Bay United in the opening match.
Development
How I wish someone powerful could call for a halt to proceedings, and declare the first division a national league now that millions of rands have been thrown into the game. It will be foolhardy to applaud the power the Premier League will attain through this and other sponsorships, and yet ignore the plight of the lower league. The strength of the Premier League will forever stand on a shaky ground as long as the under-resourced first division remains neglected.
There are a lot of examples of why the PSL needs to invest in development and vigorously drive the initiate starting immediately.
Firstly, the majority of PSL players still battle with basic techniques like trapping the ball, passing and heading and shooting for goal. Many players do not know how to play off the ball, and what to do when the opposition is in possession. At best, our players hope for mistakes to rescue them or luck to effect desired results as they do not have the ability to influence these outcomes themselves.
It is also not a surprise that Zambian striker Christopher Katongo won the PSL's Golden Boot award thanks to the 15 goals he scored at the half-way mark of last season.
Katongo did not feature at all in the second half of the season as he had to leave Jomo Cosmos to join Brondby in Denmark.
Grim picture
As it has been the trend in previous seasons, he is not the only foreign player to leave the PSL for greener pastures.
Others include Nigerian Onyekachi Okonkwo (ex-Pirates now Koln, Germany), Senegalese Cheikh Mame Niang (ex-Swallows now Wolfsburg, Germany), Congolese Blaise Lelo Mbele (ex-Pirates now CS Sfaxien, Tunisia) and Zambian Isaac Chansa (ex-Pirates, now Denmark). Benedict Vilakazi is about the only South African player who passed the grade to be signed up overseas, by Aalborg of Denmark.
The picture painted above is grim I agree but it is clear about thing: the quality of South African players is not up to scratch. The majority of our European-based players have been abroad now for five or more years.
Which means in the last five seasons, our soccer has been stagnant something which is indicated by our very low Fifa rating - No 73.
More examples of our poor form is our well-documented failures in CAF competitions, including the regional Cosafa. Bafana Bafana qualified for Ghana 2008 through the back door, while the national Under-23 side is almost out of the race to qualify for 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The confirmation of South Africa as the 2010 Soccer World Cup hosts has attracted millions of dollars into the local game. So far this money has not bought SA football success on the field of play. But that does not necessarily mean money cannot change fortunes. As far as football in Africa is concerned, money has bought progress and happiness for countries like Angola and Sudan.
Measure of progress
At present Angola is rated above South Africa by Fifa, at No 69. They played in the last World Cup in Germany, while Bafana Bafana watched from home. Their national team qualified at the top of Group F for Ghana 2008, and scored the highest number of goals (16 from six matches) in the entire qualification competition. The Black Impalas are also three-time Cosafa Cup winners, a joint-record with Zambia and Zimbabwe.
This year the Angolan league sent the highest number of teams by a southern Africa country to CAF competitions - four, for both the Champions League and Confederation Cup. By comparison South Africa sent one - Mamelodi Sundowns.
There can't be a better measure of progress between SA and Angola in football.
Just as oil revenue generated new wealth for Angola and its soccer, the same is happening with conflict-ridden Sudan. Most South Africans hear of Sudan through news bulletins about the strife-torn Darfur region in the west of Africa's largest country. Football-wise, a quiet revolution has taken place in Sudan and the rest of Africa is taking note.
Firstly, Sudan won five of their six matches to top Group D and qualify for Ghana. It's the first time they have qualified since the 1970s.
Secondly, the country has two teams in the semi-finals of CAF's competitions. Last week Sudanese champions Al Hilal beat fancied Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia) in their first leg of Champions League's semi-final. In the Confederation Cup, Al Merreikh has not finished its quarter-final programme but has already qualified for the semis by clinching Group B.
Even if the two teams don't go all the way and clinch these tournaments, their progress so far is a big success because never before has a Sudanese club reach the semi-finals of these two CAF competitions.
Hot-shots
Sudanese striker Faisal Ajab was also joint topscorer in the ACN's qualifying tournament, with five goals.
Other hot-shots were Flavio (Angola), Issam Jomaa (Tunisia) and David Obua (Uganda).
The progress of Sudanese football has attracted players from as far as Nigeria. Two of them, strikers Ndubuisi Ezeh and Yusuf Mohamed, have excellently spearheaded Al Hilal's attack this season.
Trust the Nigerians to know where it's happening. With players in all major leagues in Africa, including South Africa, Nigerians are simply the salt of African football!
Tumo writes exclusively for News24 and Sport24.
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