Same old shambles is the pits
South African journalists gathered in Sandton to see the unveiling of current Bafana Bafana assistant Pitso Mosimane as the new head coach ... only he wasn't.
While we were told that he probably would get the job, his application had to go to a committee, who would decide on his credentials, and then report back to the South African Football Association (SAFA) that actually, yes, this is the right man for the job.
This, apparently, could take a few weeks. The fact that we have a crucial 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on the horizon in early September does not seem a problem for the 'suits' at SAFA.
It is very much in the black culture to 'consult' over major decisions, and that should be respected, but in this instance it is nothing more than pathetic time-wasting.
What is Pitso Mosimane going to tell the committee about himself or his future plans for Bafana Bafana that they do not already know? And South Africa were knocked out of the World Cup on June 22, so what have they all been doing for the past 10 days?
Carlos Alberto Parreira was always going to leave after Bafana's exit from the tournament, and SAFA have always wanted a black South African coach at the helm after him, so why did the process not start on June 23? They could have been done by now and we could have had our unveiling on July 1.
We had hoped that the new SAFA executive that came in to replace the shambolic old one under Molefe Oliphant would bring with them a 'new broom' and a more professional work ethic. On this showing, they still have lots to learn.
Meanwhile, the rumble over Nigeria's self-imposed exile from world football goes on, with FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke admitting his organisation had given the Nigerian government 48-hours to reverse their decision to withdraw the national team from competition for the next two years.
Should they not do so, they will almost certainly be banned from competing in qualifiers for the next FIFA World Cup in Brazil in 2014, so what we have now is a quandary for President Goodluck Jonathan. Does he bow to FIFA and lose face to his people, or does he stand firm and face their wrath with the side being dumped from qualifiers for the 2014 show-piece.
You wouldn't want to be in his shoes ... and good luck to him!
Image sourced from http://esportes.r7.com
