Following the success of hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the resources brought upon South Africa's shores, Bafana Bafana and SAFA have gone backwards, says Benni McCarthy.
Today marks a decade since South Africa staged the first FIFA World Cup on African soil, which went on to be labelled the best tournament in its history.
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The newly built and refurbished infrastructure still there for all to witness each created special memories and have gone on to become monuments of the successful event.
However, beyond that, Bafana remain a meagre 71st-placed outfit on the global rankings and have in fact shown a decline, while also failing to qualify for another World Cup in the 10 years since.
McCarthy has given a frank assessment of the progress made by the senior men's national team while criticising SAFA for failing to capitalise on the opportunity to learn and improve the state of football in the country.
"I'm very disappointed in how we didn't capitalise on what the country had and where we could have gone from hosting the 2010 World Cup," McCarthy said during an interview with the SA Football Journalists' Association.
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"We could have put ourselves on a [higher] level – not saying close to or next to the likes of Brazil, Germany, Spain or England – [but look at] how they have strived and become better as the years have gone by.
"We inherited all the amazing facilities but we've still achieved absolutely nothing, except for the PSL, which has strived and made amazing strides to becoming a better league, and definitely the best league in Africa.
"You see that change in the PSL but when it comes to the national team and SAFA, we've just gone completely backwards.
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"It really is saddening to know that all the money that was spent and all the money that was made, every time you hear something about SAFA they talk about bankruptcy. That is heartbreaking."