South Africa 'didn’t cash in on 2010 World Cup'

SuperSport TV anchor Neil Andrews (left) and former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke (right) present an award to Nation Media Group’s Vincent Opiyo at MultiChoice offices in Randburg, South Africa, on May 24, 2018. PHOTO | COURTESY |

What you need to know:

  • Former players talk about wasted opportunities to improve the game in South Africa.
  • Former defender says standards of football in his country haven’t improve despite hosting the global tournament.

IN JOHANNESBURG

Despite hosting a successful Fifa World Cup in 2010, South Africa did not take full advantage of the global tournament to improve its performance and to leave a lasting legacy in football.
According to former Bafana Bafana defender Matthew Booth, South Africa has dwindled in performance on international stage since then.

The 41-year-old, who is currently a pundit with pay television channel SuperSport, was part of South Africa’s squad but was an unused substitute in all of the team’s three group games.

“We didn’t take advantage of hosting such a big event like the World Cup. The euphoria that comes with staging such an event is marvelous and auspicious but we didn’t make enough good use of the same,” he said on Thursday. South Africa has featured in the World Cup three times - in 1998, 2002 and 2010.

South Africa beat Morocco by four votes to win the bid to host the 2010 World Cup. South Africa were named the hosts by Joseph Blatter, Fifa president, in 2004, four years after losing to Germany in the race to host the 2006 tournament.

“The opportunity wasn’t used correctly, and perhaps it is why we haven’t qualified for a major tournament since then. Players have become comfortable playing at home because of good money and infrastructure but at times, these things do not matter without learning new tricks, culture, language and being trained with best coaches overseas. “We’ve diluted the Bafana Bafana brand,” he added.

His compatriot Lucas Radebe, who played for Kaizer Chiefs and English side Leeds United, insists South Africa deserves more after hosting the World Cup.

“We deserve more in terms of grooming players and exporting in top leagues but that’s not happening because our players are too comfortable at home because of the money,” Radebe, who captained Bafana Bafana at the 1998 and 2002 editions of the World Cup, told Nation Sport.

He added: “I keep telling them, forget the money, go out there and test your talent with the best, the money will look after itself because by that, you will have better experience playing for your national team.”

He adds that federation should also have academies of both gender as well as clubs.