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Safa: Inadequate technical staff led to Afcon qualification blunder

Safa: Inadequate technical staff led to blunder

Posted: 2011-10-20 10:02

Safa will not be singling out Pitso Mosimane in the 2012 Afcon qualification debacle, and piling blame on Safa president Kirsten Nematandani is "unfortunate".

This is the view held by Safa CEO Robin Petersen in the aftermath of Bafana's failure to seal qualification on the last day of qualifiers, by playing for a home draw against Sierra Leone instead of winning.

The reality of the failure to qualify is now settling in and with Safa back to their senses after pulling out their CAF appeal, a proper analysis is now underway.

"Pitso's primary job is to get the team prepared to perform on the field," argues Petersen.

"There is a whole technical team that surrounds him, including technical management, that is supposed to give him the support, including making him understand what the rules are and analysing them.

"We don't single out Pitso in this, but we accept that he made a mistake and we also understand that we need to bolster the technical team, because during the World Cup we had three technical management managers but we now have only one.

"We recognise that this might have been one of the contributing factors [towards lack of knowledge about the rules].

"As we continue our conversation with the technical team, this will be part of the check list to identify where the gaps are.

"We are not talking about the coaches right now, but rather the support staff to the national team because they are the ones who need to provide the coach with everything that he needs so that he doesn't have worry about those matters but rather concentrate on getting the team to perform," says Petersen.

Petersen also feels targeting Nematandani for blame because he is part of the CAF Committee for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations is unwarranted, as it is not his duty to keep updated on rules.

"I have found it unfortunate that the president [Nematandani] has had to be the one criticised because in my view it is not the president's role to be part of the technical committee that understands or checks if the team understands the rules," says Petersen.

"These rules have been there for the past 10 to 12 years, there has been no change to the rules. If there had been new rules discussed at the CAF committee then I am sure the president would obviously have come to us and informed us about the changes.

"But there have been no new rules or changes that have been introduced by CAF, so I believe the president in his role as the head of this organization has taken accountability by apologising on behalf of the association.

"If there is any responsibility it is to the CEO," says Petersen diverting blame to himself.

"I have been here for the past two months, but it is my responsibility in this association to ensure that the instructions, processes, procedure and the check lists are all built, operative and intact.

"I have undertaken to the president and the management committee that I will ensure that we have thorough interrogation so that the president and the association are not put through this embarrassing situation in the future," says Petersen.

Nematandani himself believes that despite having been at the helm during the country's most embarrassing moment he still stands as a "man of honour hoping to see a united nation".

"Yes, I came in 2009 preaching transformation, which I am proud of and we will continue to do that. Yes, I now sit in this committee and I attended the first meeting at which as South Africans we raised this concern looking at the issue of second position.

"Little did we know that we will suffer the same fate. But then again, you will anticipate that all those that are involved surely will do their work.

"Perhaps at the same time one should indicate that nation building has no restraints, meaning all of us need to come to the party," says Nematandani.

Comment on this article:

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KING?: 2011-10-20 10:37

This is r*bbish from a r*bbish organization.

msanda: 2011-10-20 10:38

I wish they could apologise to South Africans for playing for a draw.

It's time we admit that we are not the powerhouse we see ourselves to be.

Phunyuka Bang'phethe: 2011-10-20 10:38

Nematandani wa hlanya, come to the party se voet, you want us to support your mediocrity sugar-coated with nation building, you must own up baba, you knew about the rule and you didn't say anything. If the rule has been there for the past 10 to 12 years then why did you give us the impression that CAF was in the wrong, and OH, PLEASE INVITE US TO THE BONUS SHARING PARTY, just like you calling us to come to the party to own up to this embarassment and wena Petersen, the less said the better, start walking *****!

mavee@: 2011-10-20 10:44

so SAFA is going to employ more people to read rules for them????? how many people does it take to read 20 pages....thats an hour's work dammmnit.

their salary bill is gonna rise, and for what????? this incompetence is getting out of hand. fuuuccck every1 in the bafana setup.

By the way, thabo mbeki was right when he said this bafana bafana name is kaak....

Fred: 2011-10-20 11:06

This moroon must just shut-up.....what does this white guy take us soccer fans for? He is the reason for Ellis Park dissaster & now he wants to tell us that everything is fine?

Malakane: 2011-10-20 11:07

We dont need apologies all that we need are resignations all those concerned must just do the honourable thing and resign,no apologies please we ve had enough....SAFA Saphela

khosiOne : 2011-10-20 11:20

this people are just making stupid excuses , before the world cup the rules were already there , how many AFCONS have we played already , and to top it all S.A is one of the countries on the board of countries that make the rules .. This is a shame , we need to get a new technical team and coach ... This is unacceptable ...

Feelosopher (The Balotelli of Kick Off.com): 2011-10-20 11:21

How do you expect people to know when you also do'nt know jerk!!!!SAFA and its bullfrog-faced president dont cease to annoy me.
Yey mara Kick Off enough about these SAFA Morons rather report on Amazulu or Arrows issues.
We love PSL better anyway

Fela: 2011-10-20 11:23

Pisto is not to blame, fine then who is to blame? little jimmy?
Please blame somebody and fire that somebody, dont suffer oops SAFA have policies and procedures that govern the organization? Dont they know them? Employees dont have job descriptions?

Laughable, how do you participate in a competition without knowing the rules?

Ok then fire the president then. nxxxxxx...

Gucci Man: 2011-10-20 11:25

I think it's Gqubule's fault . lol

Gucci Man: 2011-10-20 11:28

I'm tired os SAFA stories....

@ LESEGO,Mriyo, Khobi , hlaxion, Dooba Monza, Champ-Bones:, Busani and KING

Guys ...I think izolo we mentioned all great players in our of the articles posted yesterday about Messi,Maradona and Romario and we made a huge blunder !!
You know what was that ?
Not even one of us mentioned one African player in that discussion....

So sad ...

Nipsy: 2011-10-20 11:34

Only agree with you when you say it is not Pitso primary mandate to worry about rules but the rest is kak. I am not one of the confused cry babies who see this as an opportunity to make noise about Pitso but I have to say Matandani hasn done anything since he took over in 2009 except for embarassing the nation.

It's time to make way for people with soccer and Admin brains.

Nipsy: 2011-10-20 11:37

I am still waiting for Kickoff to apologise for making us fools. We are not fools you kickoff, you were busy preaching as soccer experts with knowledge of what they are talking about. Journalists influenced Pitso to give up fighting and play for a draw and you are part of those who failed us.

pk kgags : 2011-10-20 11:42

**** Namantandani nd his crew

Bin Laden: 2011-10-20 11:42

Apology accepted MR Suffer president Kirsten Nematandani,Suffer CEO Robin Petersen ,Bafanya Bafanya Pitso Mosimane,Idiots who played for draw(Bafanya bafanya),Fans who praised Mediocrity(Chips fans-fak em) and Mr Toothless(the one behind all this mess(-fak em).

WE DO ACCEPT YOUR APOLOGY

..Please make us proud once again and make sure we got knocked out of group stages(AFCON 2013) without SCORING a sigle goal..Make sure we dont Qualify to Brazil 2014.

Binladed the future of the universe

Thats all im asking for,Please!

drew : 2011-10-20 11:43

Had pitso knew the rule bafana would hav e qualified?I doubt.

Bin Laden: 2011-10-20 11:46

Nipsy: 2011-10-20 11:37

I am still waiting for Kickoff to apologise for making us fools


Yes Nipsy...Im also waiting for that moment..but it looks like it'll never come.

Swona Champ!: 2011-10-20 11:51

CEO Robin Petersen and Nemathandane, I blame ur fathers for not using condoms, SA would have been a better place if you two were not born, you such an embarrasment!

Taurus: 2011-10-20 12:07

SAFA is playing us here we know when there is problem the head must be blame its his responsibility to fire some who didn't own up to his job. Pitso fail in not qualifying for the AFCON. We need a coach like Shakes Mashaba he doesn't fear opponets because he knows a win will get you there.

We have lost our South African soccer identity since Pareira was appointed as coach I thought they going blend the styles. Mashaba plays SA football that's why U23 are winning. We were known for our pace. Pitso is Brazillian institutionalized so he doesn't come with a new style that failed us in the World Cup.

I think we have talented young players in SA that deserve a chance in the Bafana Bafana they are not choosen because they are not part of the big 3. We need a coach who is going to grant a spot in BB on merit.

Bin Laden: 2011-10-20 12:16

We need Mbazo Back to our national team..we need someone we can blame for our loss..Since mbazo was the only culprit.please bring him back

SisterP: 2011-10-20 12:26

you people like the word fire, but you are busy using company computors and time, which by the way can lead to you being fired. How many of you arrive at work late and take long breaks? how many of you have missed their targets (mandate). Would it be nice for you to be fired. the answer is no, but its ok if it is some one else.What you want and what you get are two different things. Mbalula is corrupt, he hired americans to sing and handout sports awards and spent millions in the process, so he must just shut up.

ndoza 4 anger mngmnt : 2011-10-20 12:33

Ceo peterson is a result of ukudlwengulwa and kirsten indlwabu eyathela iselesele kwaphuma yena.

ndoza 4 anger mngmnt : 2011-10-20 12:37

Excuse bongani useskhathini and uhlushwa nayislumo lol lol kwah

Swona Champ!: 2011-10-20 12:41

SisterP: 2011-10-20 12:26 [ Report ]


u using ur boss' computer to repremand us, I for one set my own targets, and come to work on my own time for I dont account to anyone but myself, I was here at 05h00, I might leave in the next hour or at 17h00, depending on how much I need to make for today! I might blog while I am home or work while I am home as well, I do what I want when I need to!

Maxy: 2011-10-20 13:00

SisterP: 2011-10-20 12:26 [ Report ]

Hey, you know. People like complaining and act as if they too are perfect. That thing that happend is over and let it pass and we need to concetrate on other aspects and look foward. We all need to agree that that rule caught us by surprise so what?. You interprete one rule out of 100 wrong then you need to be fired. Come on. Mbalula knows nothing about soccer. He is just a politician making a lot of noise. I know, I am working with politicians they are like that. Not qualifying is not a train smash. It have happend before. All we need is to group players that we know they will represent us well in international game finish and klaar.

Fhatu : 2011-10-20 13:03

What a 5k! Do you idadequate in terms of number or knowledge. Knowledge does not gathered by masses but by an individual who can the masses to know. That person has a lot of resources like unlimited internet access. What is it that the rest of you do? Enough hogwash has been said about these issue, we are anticipating these bunch of clowns to clear out.

Sader : 2011-10-20 13:06

Pitso u ar 2 be blamed 4 the draw u shuld hv told the boyz 2 play 4 a win nt a draw u stupid idiot.

kasiologist: 2011-10-20 13:19

We want to see our team playing for a win always, not support stuff who will tell the technical team when it is okay to draw or loose a match. CEO, your priorities are messed up. Please sort that out before we kiss 2014 goodbye at the hands of our neighbours Botswana.

The two week psl break leading to the BB vs SL game, the coach and everybody who was given the platform could not stress enough the importance of winning despite what happens in Cairo. Pitso could have not decided to change the game plan by himself, now what peterson needs to do is fire all the palooka's who adviced for a draw. without these, we will play for a win always

Mr Molale: 2011-10-20 13:44

PITSO we did not forget what you said"I DON'T WANT ANY FAVOUR,I WANT TO BE JUDGED BY RESULTS,I GOT A MANDATE TO TAKE THE TEAM TO AFCON 2012"
Based on results you failed to take us to 2012,you can not tell us that, should you knew the rule you could have done better than that.You failed top secure a draw in Niger,that were you lost it.You knew from Niger to qualify will depend on Niger bad perfomance then instead of focusing on you job,you were busy ****ysing what other guys in Cairo were doing.

Mr Mosimane,if you are to stay as Bafana Coach,please for the benifit of the country,Never ever draw here at home,a win only is acceptable,outside the country minimun result is a draw.

Ello: 2011-10-20 14:52

TO SAFA Thanks for nothing.

TO Pitso when will we Get the 11 points yo promiced.

Pitso Again, Dude i don't have anything againts you or the way you select your players but why have you never selected Andrew from Norwich, Is it because his not Good Enough for your System but Manyisa is, KG is, and Lats Add one more thing i've learned abt your system If messi was a south african you wun't select him for Obvious reasons.

Please do consider All south Africans or forget about " Vission 2014"

mahoota: 2011-10-20 17:07

then if you have saw that why don't you fire the inadequate stuff coz they might continue doing this thing and we will be embarassed as we are now

FrankT: 2011-10-20 19:29

CEO was hiring of a thug posing as sangoma part of your transformation preaching ? and why are u lot running around like head less chickens trying to find someone to blame all in the name of protecting Nematandani ? Now that you are giving us a hind of who should be blamed are you suggesting the poor technical staff will be shown the door at the expense of Nematandani and why ?
Please also tell us why was Nematandani seen running around whith a copy of CAF rules with certain section highlighted as a fertile ground for your protest ? PLEASE DO US A FAVOUR FIRE YOURSELF AND ADVISE YOUR PRESIDENT AND HIS VICE TO DO THE SAME " THANK YOU"

spitjotjo: 2011-10-21 06:23

its very simple,...Mosimane and co must be sacked,...