Morning all
Ever since South Africa was awarded the rights to host the 2010 World Cup showpiece and the Confederations Cup as a result, one of the biggest challenges the national team had to face was putting together a team that would compete in the tournament. When I say ‘compete’ I don’t just mean participating in the tournament but being able to produce a world class performance against the world’s best.
That ambition or should I say challenge led up to the SAFA administration looking for and hiring the best technical team to fulfil this dream. We all dream of seeing Bafana Bafana walk out the tunnel to play against Italy, France, England or Brazil in the semi finals of the 2010 World Cup.
But before the World Cup, there’s the Confederations Cup tournament which kicks off in June, just a few weeks from now. With that said, the national team coach, Joel Santana announced his team to face the best in the Confederations Cup, which is basically a training ground to the big showpiece next year. The team in my opinion had no surprise inclusions or exclusions; not even the axing of Benni McCarthy was a big surprise, and I think you all know why I say that.
However, there was but one thing that concerned me, the leading PSL goal scorer is nowhere in the team list.
Our national team has always been facing problems with its striking force and lack of fire power upfront, which is why Benni McCarthy thinks he’s the best thing that ever happened to South Africa. In the past, reasons such as the PSL not being able to produce a lethal goal scorer were cited and rightfully so, I mean if you look at the previous statistics, the PSL’s leading goal scorers have always been foreign players, the likes of Colins Mbesuma and Chris Katongo just to mention a few. But this season if you look at the stats again, you will notice that the list of top goal scorers is dominated by South African players. To be specific, Richard Henyekane of Golden Arrows is the winner with 18 league goals, followed by Mabhuti Khenyeza of Ajax Cape Town with 16 goals, third is Bernard Parker and fourth Surprize Moriri, who are all South African players. These numbers prove that the standards have improved from last season where the winner walked away with the golden boot award with just 15 league goals and mind you the winner was a foreign player. So now, you tell me, why is Richard Henyekane not included in the Bafana team?
I would understand if he was ignored because he’s a one game wonder who scored 6 goals in one match and the rest were penalties. But no, he’s been consistent, even though earlier in the season he suffered an injury which kept him on the side lines for a while; he still bounced back and continued his scoring form. This guy raised the bar once again for PSL strikers. The last time we had a South African player scoring more than 15 goals was when the late Lesley Manyathela scored an emphatic 23 goals for Orlando Pirates. Now again, you tell me what justifies his exclusion from the national team?
Maybe you’ll say Santana and his technical team will consider him later. Later? When? After the Confederations Cup? I don’t think so! I mean if he does pick him later on, what’s the point? Isn’t the Confederations Cup supposed to prepare the team for the bigger showpiece next year?
Clearly the technical team think and feel they have enough firepower in Mashego, Mphela, Khenyeza and Parker. But let’s be honest here and try not to think about our respective teams players, is Katlego Mphela a better striker than Henyekane? Can you really compare the two?
Please understand that I’m not trying to discredit our technical team or predict doom for our national team, but I’m just a concerned South African who is tired of hearing the same excuses every time we lose. They always complain about the lack of lethal goal poachers in South Africa, now that we finally have one, they ignore him.
What’s your take? Is this good for South African football going forward?
May 13th, 2009 at 10:16 am
It’s a case of Animal Farm ‘ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS’…what else justifies his omission?
May 13th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Great post Calvin.
I was actually shocked to see that Richard wasn’t in the squad. How can Sundowns’ Katlegho Mphela be handed a place in the squad ahead of Richard. Does Santana actually watch local football?
Also pissed that Daine Klate missed out. Why did Santana choose so many central midfielders?
I didn’t want to be negative and criticize the squad but you have to ask youself whether players were chosen on merit.
May 13th, 2009 at 10:22 am
@Muzi,
Looking at it from our angle, it certainly doesnt make sense, i really dont know what the logic behind his ommision is, maybe someone has an answer…
May 13th, 2009 at 10:24 am
@Ash,
Thanks Ash,
Yes Daine Klate has proved time and time and again that he’s one of the country’s best left wingers, katlego Mphela is over rated and hasnt produced since returning from France, just a big name with nothing else…
May 13th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Guys, this is South Africa..nothing makes sense..from politics to sports…The national team will always have soe question marks..Look at the inclusion of Mdledle..I mean the guy is not even fir enough to play for his team…then You have Kalite ommited,…then Henyekane…Im orry to say this but Benni was right..if you play for the big three you are guaranteed a place in the National team…Pereformance wise..Henyakne is better than Mphela and Moriri combined…
May 13th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Hola Tity-Gp,
Spot on, it would be interesting to have Ntwana’s comments here on the topic, because i apparently he’s 100% behind the decision to ommit Henyekane…
May 13th, 2009 at 11:39 am
I think Pitso Mosimane had a hand in the inclusion of Mpela and the omission of Kimberly Express. Favouritism is written all over this squad, What are Mdledle,Brian,Moriri,Davids doing there, buffles the mind but thats Santana and Pitso.
Another thing is that Santana has never been seen in any local matches but he is going to Rome to watch the UEFA champions league.
I am in no ways going to support this team, Even though I am South African.
May 13th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Holla chase-man…but as for Henyekane, I say he didn’t set the scenes alight, thus he could have done more…he is our top scorer but to me he is still just another player. He didn’t force people and the media to pave his way into the Bafana list…I mean the fact that we debating about him justifies that he doesn’t deserve an automatic inclusion to the team!!!
May 13th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
For a start Mphela and Henyekane are two different type of players…We have a lot of Hanyekanes in the country (midfielder-cum-strikers) but if you look at Mphela, he is one of the player types that we lacking in the country…somebody to hold the ball, feed on-coming players and stay in the box…But I am not happy with his inclusion too!!!
May 13th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
@Alu,
I sadly disagree with you on the notion that Mphela is what the country needs, Mphela was made to be what he is by the media, he’s never really proved it, at Supersport and now recently at Sundowns, just to be a factual, he’s only scored 3 goals this season, and for bafana, compare Mphela and Parker since Henyekane has never been given a chance, How many times did Mphela feature and how many goals has he scored? and ask urself teh same question about Parker, who by the way is midfielder-cum -striker type of player.
fact is, Mphela has been given numerous chances and failed dismally… time for new blood, ppl who deserve call ups…
May 13th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Ok, I hear your argument wena Calvin but I never said Mphela’s inclusion is Ok…all am saying is that we (South Africa) lack a striker of Mphela’s approach to the game of football…we don’t have an accomplished striker in that Prelim team except for Khenyeza and Mphela. I mean what can Hanyekane do, Parker can do it five times better, hence me saying, we’ve got a lot of supporting strikers in the country!!!
May 13th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
The only thing that counts against Henyekhane is that he is untested at International level.
If Santana took the time to attend some PSL matches he whould have handed Richard a call up months ago and the “untested at International level” excuse whuld have been pointless.
May 13th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
What role does Pitso play in the technical department make-up? He is South African and knows our culture very well, however it doesn’t look like there is any value he is adding in that set-up. When is Santana comfortable with the queen’s language and why does he at times behave as though he doesn’t understand it at all?
May 13th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Even better Calvin, Henyekane scored 19 league goals as compared to James Chamanga scoring 13 league goals last season. It is really mystifying why Santana does this and to add salt, he says he is not prepared to discuss team selection. He needs to be reminded that he is not irreplaceable, like Benni, we will soon give him the cold shoulder if he does not reform, lest our football suffers from some south american cartoon character like him.
May 13th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
@Alu,
i think now we can agree that Henyekane has not been afforded the same opportunity as the ever-under performing Mphela, I say let’ he be given just one opportunity to prove himself, just as Mabhuti Khenyeza was given a chance
@Ash,
Thank you, that’s all i can say…
@Muzi
i still ask myself that same question up to this day, and yeah Santana only speaks the queens language when Bafana wins, hehehe
May 13th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
@Wilson,
LOL, welcome to FOOTBALLfevr man.
The goal stat is really what im trying to point out, he’s scored way more goals then others have in the past two or is it three seasons, what more should this young man do to be noticed by the National Team coach???
btw, this makes me ask myself, who really picks the team??? and like Ash says, maybe Santana has to watch a few other PSL games, not just when the so called big 3 or 4 play…
May 13th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Nice post bra, and yes until players are selected on merit and capability we will never have a competing team we will just be participants.
May 13th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Maybe we should suggest to at least one of the SAFA technical team that they read this forum (Calvin) because otherwise we can moan until we’re blue in the face (yes, even the black guys) but it will come to no effect. Yes, I don’t agree with the selections either, but to say you won’t be supporting your team, well, that just reminds me of Archbishop Tutu. Let’s see how the boys do. They probably won’t do very well, but I’ll be blowing my vuvuzela the whole way through.
May 13th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
@Rana,
Thanks bra, there is a list of deserving players that are being ignored by our national team selectors…
May 13th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
@Mzwandile,
That’s exactly what I’m hoping to achieve, that one of the official will hear the crying voices.
About supporting our country, theres no doubt about that, I’m 100% behind the team
May 13th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Calvin – this is the big question of the day, alongside the vexing ‘do we need Benni, or not?’.
19 League goals – plus a few more in cups – is the best form we have seen from a South African striker in years. The only question mark around Richard Henyekane would be his lack of progression through the ranks of national Under-20s, Under-23s etc.
But the man has pace and an eye for goal – and dammit, that’s what Bafana need.
One has to wonder what agenda is being followed when Mphela is selected, yet Henyekane and Klaite omitted. I think we should be demanding explanations from the national coach and his assistants.
May 13th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
@Richard,
Thanks a lot for your opinion, I’m sure the FOOTBALLfevr community will with me when I say it’s pleasure to have you here
How I wish this issue could be addressed to the National team as soon as possible, we love our country too much to see it humiliated.
Henyekane raised the game this season, what more does he have to do to be given a chance? Pitso or Santana must answer this question sometime.