Yes, we've messed up but it's not the end of the world

It has been a tough year for the SA Football Association and its president, Kirsten Nematandani. Marc Strydom interrogates him on what's gone wrong and why Safa expects fans to believe things will be better in 2012

Are you a proxy for [Safa vice-president] Danny Jordaan?

No. Such a question is asked time and again, and I need to know where it's coming from. Because I'm not. I'm here leading this association. And I'm giving everything possible in its interests.

The public and press perception is that your term's been spent presiding over disaster. What's your response?

In any organisation, in terms of organisational growth cycles, there are times you will be on top, and times you'll be down. We went through a very exciting period during the 2010 World Cup, and that cushioned us, where that excitement probably took away the focus of real issues ahead of us. It is not good to find ourselves where we are, but it's important that, out of this, we figure out what lessons have we learnt, and how we turn that around.

But why have those mess-ups - the misunderstanding of the Afcon rules, forgetting to enter the All Africa Games, the under-23s not qualifying for the Olympics because we couldn't send a full-strength squad - happened?

Look, it is not the first time we didn't make the Olympics. The last time we made it was in 2000.

But it seemed there was a unique opportunity to do it with this talented generation.

The question was why haven't we made it, and I am just trying to show you that it's not the first time we have not. In 2004 and 2008 we never even went to the qualifiers. Now, at least we lost it at the qualifiers. And we had so many chances, especially in the first two games. The other challenge is those games ran outside the Fifa calendar, and Caf did not help us by arriving with those dates late, so the planning aspect could not be implemented.

Did you really say there is no crisis? Does such a statement not indicate a denial mentality?

There are so many positives. If the focus is just on the national team, then it's another matter. But to me, it's not. Our ladies team qualified for the Olympics. We have put down artificial turfs - 27 of 52 are ready. Yes, the mess-ups have happened. Do we say it's the end of the world? No. We need plans to turn this process around.

Do you understand people's frustration that, having come to power on a ticket of a new broom, the Football Transformation Forum has not lived up to that?

I think it's correct. And of course I'm talking on behalf of Safa, and not the FTF. When you come into an election you always have your plans and dreams. Plans are one thing, but to achieve them you need resources ... But it is important that you have dreams. We have only been two years in office and I don't see those dreams unfolding now because some of them are long term. Plans for development, I think, are spot on. Especially with the Fifa Development Trust, which we have not even tapped into yet. Unfortunately short-term issues appear to have caught up with us.

Has the tension between the Premier Soccer League and Safa since the 2009 Safa presidential elections hampered progress?

Look, sport and politics will never divorce. However, from my perspective I'm leading football and will focus on ensuring it progresses. Of course, we have to work with the league. There will be issues. And we have a forum to deal with those - the joint liaison committee ... Politics are normal in the environment we are working in. There are a lot of interests we have to manage. But the governance is carried out to the letter.

In your defence, the national team showed a marked improvement under your presidency.

We came from being ranked in the 90s and we're in the top 50 now. We should agree there are weaknesses we have no control over. However, with the little we have, we have tried to make a difference.

It's been a year that started with promise but ended as an annus horribilis? Why should South Africans believe 2012 will be different?

We have created a platform for South Africans to create 2012 for themselves, by inviting their input at our technical conference. That should create hope. We have given the country an opportunity to say what they are seeing.