Johannesburg - Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund’s ambition to take the national team into the world’s top 20 begins on a clean slate after the hope of qualifying for next year’s World Cup was crushed at the weekend.
It’s no more Brazil or bust for Igesund, the coach repeated after a 4-1 walloping of Botswana at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday. Durban-born Igesund said that although he did not achieve the mandates of a semi-final place at the Africa Cup of Nations and a ticket to Brazil, Safa were happy for him to continue.
“The mandate was to reach the Afcon semis, which I didn’t do, and I couldn’t do better than win three out of four matches (in World Cup qualifying). After Afcon, Safa said they were very happy for me to stay till 2014, and there are no more mandates now,” Igesund said after Saturday’s match.
“I’ve got a contract till 2014 and I’ve got bosses who’ll decide about it. I have no control over what people do or say (after the Safa elections). Whatever happens, so be it. I did what I could to the best of my ability.”
South Africa ended second in their group, behind Ethiopia, who advance to a final knock-out qualification round to determine the five African sides that will travel to Brazil. With the pressure of World Cup qualification out of the way, Igesund can continue with his work in the last year that remains of his original two-year deal.
Unless there’s a sudden change of thinking at Safa after the body’s elections on September 28, Igesund is confident that in the next 18 months he can elevate the team into the world’s top 20 and Africa’s top three. His mission starts with a friendly against Zimbabwe in Johannesburg on Tuesday in preparation for the Chan (Championship of African Nations) tournament which South Africa hosts early next year.
“Many countries go through a slump. As Safa, we’ve acknowledged things have not gone to plan over the past eight to 10 years. We were always looking for a quick fix; there was no identity and no playing style. We’ve identified the problems and there’s progress now.
“We have a bigger pool of players and the mix is good. We need the Under-17s and Under-20s to feed players through to the Under-23 and senior sides. These junior teams need competitions in Europe, playing against the best of the best, and we need the same system from the bottom to the top. It’s at the junior world championships where our players get nurtured and get experience and then players won’t get lost in the system,” said Igesund.
While the Chan tournament is restricted to home-based national teams, for the foreseeable future Igesund is likely to be without Dutch-based midfielder Thulani Serero for any other matches after he was expelled from the squad before Saturday’s clash.
The player allegedly wanted the team doctor to inform Igesund that he was unfit to play, because he was afraid of injuring himself ahead of his club Ajax Amsterdam’s upcoming European Champions League match.
“If he feels he wants to retire I will never victimise him, but he must be honest. He must not pull the wool over the eyes of South Africa and the doctor,” said Igesund.
For Tuesday’s match Igesund has excused the Orlando Pirates players so that they can focus on their upcoming African Champions League game in Congo.
The only foreign-based player retained is goalkeeper Darren Keet.
Igesund said the Belgium-based player will be between the posts against Zimbabwe.
The Star