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In the face of mounting criticism and a supposed player mutiny, Shakes Mashaba defends his corner
Beleaguered Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba this week broke his long silence, insisting he was very much still the right man for the job.
Mashaba said that while not everyone would agree with his sentiments, a look at his involvement with all national teams backed his claim that he still had a lot to offer the senior national team.
“I don’t doubt my abilities as the coach of the national team and I believe I have a lot to offer to the nation. However, people have the right to voice their opinions, but if they say I am not the best man, they must say because of one, two, three. I’m still looking forward to continuing in the job and completing the World Cup qualifiers. And I am confident the results, which every coach is judged by, will come,” said Mashaba.
He added that he did not feel his job was under threat.
“I know I can do the job, and I don’t feel threatened at all.”
Mashaba cautioned against the idea of chopping and changing coaches, saying that was not taking the country anywhere.
“We need to be careful of this thing of chopping and changing coaches. It is taking us nowhere. When we go back in time, of all the coaches we have had up to where we are now, there is the same pattern of when there is a slight mistake we change coaches.I am not trying to say ‘keep me for a longer time’, but changing coaches throws us back too much, as the new coach has to always come with his philosophy, and when results don’t come for one or two games, we call for him to be changed.”
For the first time, the coach conceded that the team was in serious danger of not qualifying for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon. Bafana have failed to win a single game in the qualifiers. They lie third on the log, with a mere three points to show for their efforts.
“We made things difficult for ourselves. We now have to rely on other results to make the job easier.
“I believe we have just been unfortunate in some cases, but soon we will turn the corner. That is the nature of this sport: at times, you play brilliant football but results don’t come. But from here we need to work hard to win to give us the courage to win the World Cup qualifiers.”
Mashaba said they would fight to the end in the two remaining games against Gambia and Mauritania.
He owned up that sometimes he had failed to control his emotions as the national team coach and admitted he was at times hurt about the extent to which certain sections of society exaggerated things to justify their points.
“I am human and I do accept criticism, as it helps me to expand and grow, but at times I feel certain that people’s criticism is personal. But as a leader, I also need to keep my temper in check and will work on this going forward.”
He said that South Africans had an exaggerated view of the level of local football.
“People expect us to win the Afcon and do well in the World Cup, but we need to be realistic. We have only won two Cosafa [Council of Southern Africa Football Associations] tournaments, and this is where we need to start.”
He said Premiership clubs needed to play their part in African competitions, as well to help build a strong Bafana. He denied his assistant coaches were ball boys, saying they had as much input as he did.
He also welcomed the appointment of the assessment committee, but said its roles needed to be clarified.
“I accept the appointment, but I don’t know exactly what their responsibility is, and can only comment once I am fully aware of that.”
