The Handover!

June 27, 2010 by  

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parreira-mosimane-450

So the World Cup has come and gone, well at least it has for Bafana Bafana – and as expected SAFA will soon announce the name of the coach who will take over from Carlos Parreira. The Brazilian has been very open about backing Bafana assistant coach Pitso Mosimane as his successor – a move that would make the most sense to me since Pitso has been in the Bafana setup for over four years.

There is, however, a section that believes Gavin Hunt (winner of three back-to-back PSL titles) is the right man to take over the most pressurized job in the country (after the President of course) – but if the media “leaks” are anything to go by – the hot seat has Pitso’s name all over it. The group calling for an international coach is really insignificant – we’re not even going to bother about that. It’s about time South Africa went back to playing a South African brand of football – whatever that is.

Pitso and Gavin have both enjoyed success at PSL level with the same team, Supersport United, but as Pitso once pointed out – moving from coaching a PSL team to the national team is a huge step. It would really be illogical for SAFA to invest all these years in him – having him work closely with the highly paid…eish…highly skilled Parreira only to shun him and appoint an outsider.  I hope SAFA will kill the suspense and make a prompt announcement – allowing the new coach to get on with his job.

Bafana has to start playing some friendlies in preparation for the tough AFCON 2012 qualification round, a tournament that will be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. South Africa has been drawn into a tough qualifying group containing defending champions Egypt, tricky Niger and a team that likes to give us headaches – Sierra Leone.

Taking into consideration that only the top team is guaranteed qualification – the new appointee will have his work cut out. If the new man is indeed Pitso Mosimane – his first task will have to be getting rid of that Jungle Oats ad. I’m sorry – but I don’t think we want our national coach as the face of Jungle Oats. The next step will obviously be picking his bunch of players to represent the country.

Which brings me to my next point – the only thing I don’t like about assistants being promoted to the head coach position:

Ok, here it goes: they either change too little or change too much. Either they come with the “let me stick to what I’m used to” approach which leaves one wondering if the old coach is still calling the shots OR the “let me change everything” approach just to show everyone that a new guy is in charge. I hope Pitso (excuse me)… the new coach… will be able to combine Parreira’s flavour with his own fresh ideas.

What matters now is that the hard work that was put in towards the 2010 World Cup should not be destroyed – but it must be used as the foundation as we look forward to qualifying for and doing well in the 2012 AFCON and the 2014 World Cup.

Is Pitso Mosimane capable of leading us to those destinations? I think he is.

By The SportLite ©

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Comments

35 Comments on "The Handover!"

  1. Tweets that mention The Handover! | Just Curious -- Topsy.com on Mon, 28th Jun 2010 12:06 am 

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  2. SilentBloggar on Mon, 28th Jun 2010 12:41 am 

    Great article again Sportlite. You mentioned a heart stopping fact, we have been drawn against Egypt for AFCON qualifiers? My gosh then really the new coach needs to get on with it.
    I will be happy with Pitso or Gavin Hunt. Once the coach is selected we must get on with the bizniz and leave the dirty politix to COPE.
    Another thing the confuses me: why did FIFA do away with automatic qualification for World Cup and indeed AFCON champs. How will ythe tourney be like without the defending champs?
    I find it puzzling.

  3. Cheesa on Mon, 28th Jun 2010 12:53 am 

    Nice article SportLife for the first I read your article from start to finish, I actually thought it was written by Brown Shuga. I think Pitso should be the coach like you’ve said he’s been with the team for four year surely he must have learnt so much from Parreira and learnt alot about being in the national team and the pressures of being there. And the fact that Parreira picked him counts for something even though he did that with Santana who became a disaster. Yes Gavin Hunt might be good too but I would go with Pitso maybe Gavin should be the assistant, not sure if it will work though.

  4. soul sista on Mon, 28th Jun 2010 1:03 am 

    LOL @The Jungle Oats ad.
    I’m soccer-knowledgeably challenged, but I think a local coach will do and whoever gets the job should not mess up with this winning formula that we saw in the past months.

  5. Makgotso on Mon, 28th Jun 2010 8:05 am 

    I hope Pitso gets it,kwaaa @ oats ad

  6. nan on Mon, 28th Jun 2010 9:01 am 

    ha ha ha ha !!! jungle oats ad *faints dead*

    i dint even notice that was him and thought it must be some random oak.

    Gavin or Pitso ??? let me go and google em pics some more *grin *

  7. kazisongo on Mon, 28th Jun 2010 9:21 am 

    I hope Pitso gets it for the sake of continuity. @Cheesa I don’t think Gavin will agree to be the assistant maybe if they call them co-coaches….

  8. Mogwanthi on Mon, 28th Jun 2010 9:33 am 

    Pitso is the right man for the job, Gavin can be his assistant!

  9. cijimpi on Mon, 28th Jun 2010 10:49 am 

    PITSO! PITSO!! PITSO!!!
    he has been around for over 4years, lets use his talents..if not then we need to hire Gavin Hunt or Gordon..
    @Sportlite, seeing tht we are in a group with egypt, niger and sierra leone for afcon 2012/13, what happens if we finish 2nd? do we still qualify for afcon 2012/13

  10. The SportLite on Mon, 28th Jun 2010 11:49 am 

    @ Cijimpi

    If we finish in 2nd place – we better hope we’re one of the 2nd placed teams that will go through.

    GROUP K – has 5 teams now since they had to add Togo after the draw – which means 2 teams will qualify from that Group.

  11. Uthando on Mon, 28th Jun 2010 1:15 pm 

    HA BAFETHU………

    I think without the unregistered it too quite in JC house and nje mina i mic them

  12. Bee on Mon, 28th Jun 2010 2:43 pm 

    Lol@Uthando mara uRight yazi. But hey u know moes most people don’t like change but they’ll get used to it(that’s if that’s the reason its quet). Um loving it mna it’s real and mature.

  13. Cheesa on Mon, 28th Jun 2010 3:33 pm 

    I actually wanted Parreira to stay but after reading the paper where he said he is missing his wife, children and grandchildren and that age is not on his I understood. I really wanted him to continue coaching Bafana Bafana coz in just a few months he has been back he made a good change that made us had hopes for Bafana Bafana I don’t remember when was the last time I had so much hope for Bafana and watch their games from start to finish without losing hopes. I even became much of a soccer fan. Kazisongo I also thought that you know, that Gavin Hunt might not want to be the assistant after other people see him as the right coach.

  14. posh on Mon, 28th Jun 2010 3:56 pm 

    Sport Lite am I wrong to think that Pitso’s experience and exposure might not be enough to hold such a position. A coach needs to be respected by the team and the fans in addition to his coaching skills.
    I think if it was not Parreira coaching Bafana we would have witnessed a totally different reaction from fans and SA as a whole. But because Parreira is a world renowned coach, even though he did not deliver despite millions spent on him and the boy’s preparations, SA is giving him a hero’s send off…
    Wouldn’t it be wise for Pitso to maintain his position and with his experience he can demand to be paid a lot more money. Let us get a coach like Gavin hunt who comes in with a good track record and respect from the fans and country because of his achievements.
    sometimes you don’t need a leadership position to prove your worth, just to be excellent at what you do and your bosses acknowledge by rewarding well, sometimes it is enough, why would he want to add to the 17 coaches who have come and vacated the hot seat kabi!

  15. The SportLite on Tue, 29th Jun 2010 11:09 am 

    Gavin Hunt has made it clear that he’s not interested in a power-sharing deal – plus it’s only fair that Pitso is given a chance to choose his own assistant. I hope it won’t be Thomas Madigage!

    @ Posh – South Africans will just have to learn to respect and be patient with the new coach. If things go well – we should be able to carry on from where we left off – but we need to give the new coach a chance to experiment (and expect a few mistakes now and then)

  16. kazisongo on Tue, 29th Jun 2010 11:38 am 

    Gavin can go jump if he is not interested in power sharing. If you have been following the PSL for a while you will know that he didn’t achieve much in the long time he spent at Swallows and the success that he is enjoying at Supersport is due to the good foundation that was laid by Pitso.

  17. kakapana on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 11:09 am 

    For some strange reason, mina I just don’t “trust” Pitso. I think he “colludes” with the players agents to ensure that their players are in the starting line up.

    Even when he was the assistant coach, I think that he, instead of Parreira had the final say about the starting 11.

    I would go with Gavin. He doesnt understand the meaning of favouritisim, big name players, and I bowing down to please Safa.

    The man speaks his mind and he can bring out the best from any player…there’s just something about Gavin that scream National coach.

    And I dont think they (Pitso and Gavin) would be able to work together, as I forsee a sabotage..

    that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

  18. kakapana on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 11:13 am 

    I dont buy into that Kazisongo. Most of the players that were at SS during Pitso tenure were no longer around when Gavin took over.
    HE brought in his own players, “no name players” who were willing to fight and die for that team, hence them winning three consecative PSL championships.

  19. kazisongo on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 11:49 am 

    Gavin was at Swallows for 5 years and and he won 1 trophy.

  20. kakapana on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 12:00 pm 

    And?? he’s now at SSU and he has won three back to back PSL championships, how many did Pitsho win?
    Yes Pitso won the SAA super 8 and the Absa cup but, like Philani Mabaso of Amazulu said, a coach is judged by how many league titles he can win. He can win all the cup competitions in the league and still get relegated to the NFD (where there’s less money, and poorly runned)

  21. kazisongo on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 12:17 pm 

    That makes Pitso the perfect candidate for Bafana because you don’t have the whole season when it comes to the national team which is what is required to win league titles.

  22. Brown Shuga on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 12:22 pm 

    @Kakapana mmmhh… I have heard stories about your Pitso suspicion…

    I also dont think I want him as coach… something about him doesn’t sit well with me. Gavin is too arrogant, I want a friendly coach like Parreira.

  23. kazisongo on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 12:29 pm 

    @BS so who’s your choice?

  24. kakapana on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 12:30 pm 

    LOL @ Kazisongo…a national team coach has a year (well depending of course on his contract with Safa) which is almost equivalent to a PSL season….

    yes, he can be (arrogant) at times, but that’s because he doesnt take any sh$% from anyone. I think you need to be a bit arrogant if you want to engage with the Safa mafias

  25. kazisongo on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 12:40 pm 

    You say it like he will be spending the whole year with the team. Besides according to the Kickoff website Bafana’s first game for the 2012 Afcon qualifiers is in in the first weekend of September 2010 so there’s little time left.

  26. FunkyFK on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 12:55 pm 

    Eish BS ubusy lakwa JC neh? Where have you been?

  27. kakapana on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 12:58 pm 

    mmmmhhhhh…*thinking* I did say depending on his contract with Safa, but you and I know that the powers that be at Safa dont really believe in local coaches.
    I might be wrong though(with Nematandani and his crew running the Safa town now) but I dont see a local coach coaching BB for more than two years.

    Well according to Lesley Sedibe, the new coach will be announced before the end of the World Cup (apperantly tomorrow or friday)

  28. Fezzy on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 1:00 pm 

    Pitso is a Leganyana associate…no offence bo mZion but imagine him coming to coach with that green badge…big turn-off.

  29. kakapana on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 1:06 pm 

    hawu Fezzy LOL eish i forgot GPY…what is a turn off with ama badge ase Zion? Tommy Madigage always proudly wears his mZion gear whenever SSU are playing

  30. soul sista on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 1:20 pm 

    LOL Fezzy…

  31. Brown Shuga on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 1:42 pm 

    Lol Fezzy uwrongo shem

    Ndikhona Funky! Hello

  32. The SportLite on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 2:27 pm 

    Without taking anything away from Gavin Hunt – I have to agree with Kazisongo here. Pitso started – and Gavin finished.

    What Gavin inherited was a team that believed it could compete with the best in the PSL. The structures and the culture was already in place.

    We don’t really know what would’ve happened had Pitso stayed on at SSU (Re: 3 back-to-back league titles) What’s we know is that his talent was recognised and he was called up to join the Bafana Bafana coaching staff. That’s quite an achievement for a coach who was mocked when he took over at Supersport.

    My gut tells me Hunt would struggle with a team like Pirates – abundance of talent but ZERO confidence. Try winning 3 titles with that bunch. (Dear Gavin – you can take up the challenge and prove me wrong :-) )

    Pitso has paid his dues.

  33. The SportLite on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 2:33 pm 

    Re: Agents…bribes…Bafana

    Come on guys – those rumours are as old as nursery rhymes…started way before Pitso – and from what I’ve heard they involve/d people who are in a more superior positions in the national setup. Anyway : THOSE ARE JUST RUMOURS. (JC Disclaimer :-) )

  34. NthabiVDK on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 2:51 pm 

    GPY @ Fezzy….that zion badge is a complete turn off….yhooooo ndafa yintsini.

  35. kakapana on Wed, 30th Jun 2010 4:01 pm 

    Why did it take Gavin one season to finish what Pitsho started five years earlier (and still couldnt complete)?

    yes, they (players) might have believed but the belief was not paying any dividends on the field of play until Gavin took over.

    I honestly dont think Pitso would have won the league with SS had he remained, cup competitions and being a runner up- yes, but the league ayi, angiboni.

    I’m a stanch Pirates support but so long as the Iron Duke owns that team with Floyd Mbele as the administration officer , any coach would struggle with Pirates. Even the Special one…but with that being said my blood is still black and white.

    well those rumours just re-surfaced again after BB exit in the World Cup and Pitso’s name came up…yet again…

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