Mbalula, management have failed 'losers' Bafana: iLIVE

Albert Einstein once observed that a fool is a person who does the same thing, the same way, over and over again, but expecting a different result.

Bafana Bafana have not achieved anything of value in years, and as a correcting measure, many coaches from different countries ; and different calibre [who are, these days, successful coaches elsewhere] have been fired or pushed out of their jobs.

But the team’s performance still has not improved.

Once again, faced with the outcome [defeat] that perfectly fits the Bafana’s performance pattern, we are debating the future of the coach.

In fact, Gordon Igesund should be left on his job. He is a competent; and honest man.

He correctly understands that his role/mission is to develop the national team.

The ‘bunch of useless losers’ in this saga of which Fikile Mbalula sits on top as an No. 1 ‘useless loser’ member, is the entire soccer management. 

Management in an organisation establishes the vision, creates standards, promotes organisational culture, monitors progress, mile-stones, goals, and objective attainment, defines priorities; allocates resources etc.

Now that this ‘useless loser’ [Mbalula] decided to talk to the public about his organisation [portifolio], he must give a sober progress account as to how much progress he has made towards the objective of developing Bafana Bafana in these three important areas: intellectual, emotional and physical.

Developing a team is a process/an evolution, and not an event. Learn-as you-go or trial-and-error strategies do not apply. One needs to develop a methodology to deal effectively with the process.

However, we have been treated to one farcical PR circus after the other. No understanding let alone any methodology for what this ‘bunch of losers’ does, is anywhere to be seen by anybody. For instance: 

At the Intellectual level, what does Bafana seek to learn, prove by playing Spain? Spain is a team that could have been benchmarked, in the boardroom, whereby the huge skills difference would have transpired; and therefore used it [the team] as a case study in[in skills building] class room, for intellectual development of youngster.

In fact, I believe that this is what Spain did. When they received the invitation, they benchmarked Bafana. The huge skills difference transpired to them.

Then they asked: “What do we stand gain or prove by beating this team? Nothing. What do we stand to lose by being beaten by this team? Nothing either.” Effort, opportunity to develop skills, resources wasted. No intellectual development methodology. A wonderful tourism opportunity was however there, for the Spaniards.

At the emotional level, the experience with the so called soccer nations reveals the existence of soccer fraternity/elite in these countries, which comprises people who through their success with the game, they are very keen to share their pride; and they profess soccer like religious. However, according to reports, this ‘bunch of losers’, controlling a lot of ‘BUCK’, they would block any association with anyone who has the most genuine desire to share any soccer skills/experience, passion or pride, even for free, with the nation.

Such persons are invariably viewed with suspicion that are going there to the ‘bunch’ to share on ‘Buck’.

Most of them are reported to be destitute, and suffering from stress related problems due to the lack of association with soccer which is the source of their pride. Therefore, there cannot be any emotional development, since there are no soccer fraternities. Everything boils down to money-making and money related emotional blackmailing: ‘lose your job, fire you’ etc.

Igesund must be allowed to stay on his job. He never argues about salary/money. He clearly understands that his mission is to develop the national team. He never brags of any achievements. He always gives a sober assessment of his role within the developmental process, among this ‘bunch of losers’, which comprises Mbalula as the No. 1 member.