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Office of the President
TO:
SAFA Regions
DATE:
26 January 2017
FROM:
President
Local development or Europe; which is the route to success?
There has been an endless debate on what is the foundation of having a strong senior
national team in developing countries i.e. Africa, Asia and South America.
The debate has seen some proponents speaking of the need to put football development
and infrastructure in place on one hand while others talk of having players in competitive
European leagues as the fundamental basis for having a winning national team.
The old basis of the strongest teams generally whether in Latin America or Africa, have been
and still remains national teams with the majority of key players plying their trade in top
European clubs.
I will delve much on the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Gabon to see the
number of players who come from European teams which still serves as a basis for success
in the 2017 AFCON.
Countries whose players are plying their trade in Europe:

Burkina Faso
20 in Europe
2 local based players
Danny JORDAAN (President), Elvis SHISHANA (VP), Irvin KHOZA (VP), Lucas NHLAPO (VP), Dennis A. MUMBLE (CEO/General
Secretary)
National List Members: Truman PRINCE, Nomsa MAHLANGU, Aubrey BAARTMAN, Poobalan GOVINDASAMY, Gladwin WHITE, Xolile
NKOMPELA, Ria LEDWABA, Anastasia TSICHLAS, Norman ARENDSE, Kwenzakwakhe NGWENYA
Provincial List Members: David BANTU, Peter MANCHONYANE, Mzimkhulu NDLELO, Mzimkhulu FINA, Letima MOGOROSI, Mzwandile
MAFORVANE, Abel RAKOMA, Jack MALULEKE, Velaphi KUBEKA, Simphiwe XABA, William MOOKA, Anthony REEVES, David ZULU,
Thamsanqa MOKOENA, Gerald DON, Mlungisi BUSHWANA, Paseka NKONE, Monde MONTSHIWA
League Members: Mato MADLALA, Stanley MATTHEWS, Kaizer MOTAUNG
Honorary Members: Molefi OLIPHANT (Honorary Life President), Lesole GADINABOKAO (Honorary President), Henry MOSESE
(Honorary Member)
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Cameroon
Guinea Bissau
Gabon
Algeria
Tunisia
15
Senegal
Zimbabwe
Ivory Coast
DR Congo
Morocco
Togo
Ghana
Mali
Egypt
Uganda
21
23
19
17
2
0
4
6
8
23
4 + 11 in SA
22
20
20
18
23
20
8
1
0
8
1
3
3
5
0
3
15
22
Fact is that the majority of the teams that got knocked out in the first round are those with the
lowest number of players who play in Europe and the favorites to win the tournament Ghana
and Senegal have the highest number of players from Europe in their squads. Both Uganda
and Zimbabwe have 1 and 4 players in Europe respectively.
On the other end, Guinea Bissau with no player from their own country or league qualified
for AFCON 2017. This clearly shows that qualification and performance of most of these
countries is not necessarily a result of internal domestic development plan or a strong
domestic professional league but mostly by players who leave the country to play or are
recruited on the basis of parents from the country of origin to Europe.
It has also become a norm that many African countries in a bid to do well on international
stage, recruit players with parents from the country of origin the mother, father or both to play
for them.
Issues of the country’s economic prowess or infrastructure are important but do not
automatically guarantees international football success. Otherwise the countries with the
biggest economies and biggest population would have won the world cup i.e. China, USA,
and India.
We must ensure sustainable success on the basis of a strong development plan, adequate
resources for development, and international participation for our youth, strong technical
leadership, strong women teams and a strong domestic professional league.
The clubs however, must release talented young players for junior competitions to accelerate
the development path of these young players. The Ayew brothers participated in all Ghana
youth matches and went through all national teams structures.
SAFA’s Vision 2022 is clear. The sustainable international success can be built on the basis
of the success of junior teams and a strong development drive.
The National Academy is the centrepiece of this strategy.
Danny JORDAAN (President), Elvis SHISHANA (VP), Irvin KHOZA (VP), Lucas NHLAPO (VP), Dennis A. MUMBLE (CEO/General
Secretary)
National List Members: Truman PRINCE, Nomsa MAHLANGU, Aubrey BAARTMAN, Poobalan GOVINDASAMY, Gladwin WHITE, Xolile
NKOMPELA, Ria LEDWABA, Anastasia TSICHLAS, Norman ARENDSE, Kwenzakwakhe NGWENYA
Provincial List Members: David BANTU, Peter MANCHONYANE, Mzimkhulu NDLELO, Mzimkhulu FINA, Letima MOGOROSI, Mzwandile
MAFORVANE, Abel RAKOMA, Jack MALULEKE, Velaphi KUBEKA, Simphiwe XABA, William MOOKA, Anthony REEVES, David ZULU,
Thamsanqa MOKOENA, Gerald DON, Mlungisi BUSHWANA, Paseka NKONE, Monde MONTSHIWA
League Members: Mato MADLALA, Stanley MATTHEWS, Kaizer MOTAUNG
Honorary Members: Molefi OLIPHANT (Honorary Life President), Lesole GADINABOKAO (Honorary President), Henry MOSESE
(Honorary Member)
However, in the last Bafana Bafana match against Senegal, we only had Thulani Serero and
Andile Jali in the starting line up.
So is Bafana Bafana following a different path for success on the continent? Is it a good
approach to ignore our players in Europe?
African successful teams have a direct link with the number of players from Europe in their
teams. The recent 2017 AFCON seems to emphasize that European-based player’s
guarantee success.
Is the lack of success by Bafana Bafana at major international tournaments mirrored by the
decline in the number of South African players in Europe?
Must we work harder in development or harder in getting more and more players to top
European leagues?
Let us look at the most successful Bafana era
In 1996 and 1998 AFCON and FIFA World Cup squad, these were key players for
Bafana Bafana:
Andre Arendse (Fulham, England), Sizwe Motaung (Tenerife, England), Lucas Radebe
(Leeds, England), Mark Fish (Bolton, England) , David Nyathi (Tenerife, Spain), Eric Tinkler
(Barnsley, England), Phil Masinga (Bari, Italy), Shaun Bartlett (Bolton, England), Benni
McCarthy (Celta Vigo, Spain/Porto, Portugal), Quinton Fortune (Manchester United,
England), Mark Williams, Wolverhampton Wanderers). Neil Tovey, Doctor Khumalo (Chiefs),
Shoes Moshoeu, ( Fenebache) and Helman Mkhalele (Kayserspor),(Turkey)
The French Colonies have many Africans from former French colonies living in France and
as a result many West African either go to play in France or children of families living in
France opt to play for their country of origin. The French national team also includes players
with African origin. This historical political relationship has a substantial influence on African
Foot ball success.
The FIFA Forward program is a welcome and significant development for African countries to
develop a sustainable program for International Success. The FIFA grant of 1,2 million USD
per year for every Member Association will have a profound impact on the path of African
Football.
The major policy shifts in the U.K. i.e. Brexit and other European Countries will make mass
migration of footballers in to Europe difficult.
We must continue to pursue international success on the basis of building development
structures academies, leagues, train coaches, strong completions and international
participation for all our teams. Success will then be sustained!
Yours sincerely
Danny JORDAAN (President), Elvis SHISHANA (VP), Irvin KHOZA (VP), Lucas NHLAPO (VP), Dennis A. MUMBLE (CEO/General
Secretary)
National List Members: Truman PRINCE, Nomsa MAHLANGU, Aubrey BAARTMAN, Poobalan GOVINDASAMY, Gladwin WHITE, Xolile
NKOMPELA, Ria LEDWABA, Anastasia TSICHLAS, Norman ARENDSE, Kwenzakwakhe NGWENYA
Provincial List Members: David BANTU, Peter MANCHONYANE, Mzimkhulu NDLELO, Mzimkhulu FINA, Letima MOGOROSI, Mzwandile
MAFORVANE, Abel RAKOMA, Jack MALULEKE, Velaphi KUBEKA, Simphiwe XABA, William MOOKA, Anthony REEVES, David ZULU,
Thamsanqa MOKOENA, Gerald DON, Mlungisi BUSHWANA, Paseka NKONE, Monde MONTSHIWA
League Members: Mato MADLALA, Stanley MATTHEWS, Kaizer MOTAUNG
Honorary Members: Molefi OLIPHANT (Honorary Life President), Lesole GADINABOKAO (Honorary President), Henry MOSESE
(Honorary Member)
DR DANNY JORDAAN
PRESIDENT
Danny JORDAAN (President), Elvis SHISHANA (VP), Irvin KHOZA (VP), Lucas NHLAPO (VP), Dennis A. MUMBLE (CEO/General
Secretary)
National List Members: Truman PRINCE, Nomsa MAHLANGU, Aubrey BAARTMAN, Poobalan GOVINDASAMY, Gladwin WHITE, Xolile
NKOMPELA, Ria LEDWABA, Anastasia TSICHLAS, Norman ARENDSE, Kwenzakwakhe NGWENYA
Provincial List Members: David BANTU, Peter MANCHONYANE, Mzimkhulu NDLELO, Mzimkhulu FINA, Letima MOGOROSI, Mzwandile
MAFORVANE, Abel RAKOMA, Jack MALULEKE, Velaphi KUBEKA, Simphiwe XABA, William MOOKA, Anthony REEVES, David ZULU,
Thamsanqa MOKOENA, Gerald DON, Mlungisi BUSHWANA, Paseka NKONE, Monde MONTSHIWA
League Members: Mato MADLALA, Stanley MATTHEWS, Kaizer MOTAUNG
Honorary Members: Molefi OLIPHANT (Honorary Life President), Lesole GADINABOKAO (Honorary President), Henry MOSESE
(Honorary Member)