Hugo Broos admits Safa is part of soccer’s problem

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has often taken potshots at the Premier Soccer League (PSL) for standards  being too low.

Now for the first time and after winning bronze with Bafana Bafana at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), the Belgian has admitted his bosses at the SA Football Association (Safa) are part of the problem.

Broos, who guided Bafana to third place in Ivory Coast and their first Afcon semifinal in 24 years, had a furrow across his brow facing questions on the state of SA football in a round-table with soccer writers.

He seemed to be contemplating what future  SA soccer can have once he leaves. He is 71 — he will leave, most likely after the 2026 World Cup. It suggests he has developed a genuine affinity for the sport in SA and cares for its direction.

Bafana were the underdogs in every match except their 4-0 group stage thrashing of Namibia at the Nations Cup. That makes Broos’ forging and steering of the side to bronze remarkable. It was built on an excellent, realistic counterattacking gameplan and fighting, passionate defensive displays.

Winning that way is not sustainable, especially considering coaches such as Broos are so hard to come by.

So Safa might want to take a victory lap for the Afcon achievement. They should not. Broos, bolstered by the security of the best Nations Cup campaign in more than two decades, had the bravery to suggest that about his bosses, and what needs doing, and the reality of what is likely to be done.

It was put to the coach that many South Africans agree the PSL standard is too low and much of the reason is not enough clubs have acceptable youth systems and structures; but Safa, as custodian of development, must also accept responsibility.

“OK, I am always talking about the PSL, but I think Safa has a role to play too,” the coach said. “Starting with the youth — starting a development programme for the youth. And I know this is a big country and it’s not so easy, but you can make a plan and see how it goes and during the project make corrections. It has to be possible.

“I see how a youth team — take for example the U-17s — play their Afcon, and then they don’t qualify, then there are six, seven months where they have nothing on the programme. And then suddenly there is a qualifier for the World Cup. In the seven, eight months in between nothing else happened.”

But Broos’ furrowed brow indicated he is concerned the administrators of Safa and the PSL will take the Afcon bronze as a sign all is OK. It is not.

The mother body and its professional wing often behave like opposition political parties, not custodians of the same sport. Safa is perennially broke and the PSL is rich. This means grassroots football, which produces the players, is poor, but the PSL and Safa’s poor relationship will not see this fixed.

The short-sighted approach is apparent in the PSL not enforcing effective development at top-flight clubs. Broos is amazed his request for the league to break earlier, before Christmas, to give him more preparation time for Afcon, was turned down. But when Bafana reached the semis and came back later than expected the league postponed a full round of matches overnight.

“I want to tell them how I see what the league has to do for the national team. And I will not argue with them and fight — it’s just to persuade them there is something [else] very important and this is your national team.”

For once, there is light peeking from behind the cloud that has been Bafana’s poor performance on the international stage. Broos has ideas on how the team can negotiate to a clear, sunny day. Will the administrators listen? Can they? Twenty years of moving backwards does not offer great encouragement.