Bafana’s performance vindicates Safa’s vision

South African Football Association CEO, Dennis Mumble believes the current form and success of Bafana Bafana is a clear vindication of the association’s strategies and new approach to the development of football in the country.

Mumble was speaking at the launch and draw for the Discovery Walter Sisulu Soccer Challenge. “We have linked the coaches of all the national sides,” he said. “The coach of the U17s has been made the assistant coach of the U19s, whose senior coach is the assistant coach of the U23s and the senior coach of the U23s has been appointed one of the two assistant coaches to Bafana’s Shakes Mashaba.

“This ensures continuity and that players are not lost along the road. Most of the players that Mashaba is using in the senior team are players that he has been coaching in the U23 squad for a long time before his latest appointment to Bafana Bafana.”

He said the results of the strategic linking-up of the national teams had begun to bear fruit. “The success currently being enjoyed by Bafana is a direct result of this linking-up strategy that we have devised and implemented.”

He added that Mashaba had not been lost to the U23s as he constantly monitored them when he was not working with the senior team. “We no longer want to just chop and change the senior team, but we want to boys to move up the ladder as a unit as they have been playing together for a long time.

“This will eliminate the cry often raised by coaches that they do not have enough coaching time with Bafana players and that the players themselves do not have enough time to gel as a unit. If we move up the whole team as a unit and change just to accommodate in-form players to replace those that have lost form, this will take care of the gelling problem.”