News: 10th November 2007
FIFA LoC visit

On Friday, the AFA was unofficially visited by members of the FIFA 2010 LoC and Russ Dixon of the British High Commission. The boys really enjoyed and appreciated the time that these gentlemen took to come out and spend time with local footballers at the development level. We hope to be able to host them again soon and thank them for their encouraging words.

News: 31st August 2007
AFA vs Wits Development teams

Amathole u15 and u17 teams were invited to play against Wits University Development teams at Marks Park this evening. It was the teams' first visit outside Soweto and proved to be a valuble learning experience. We would like to express our gratitude to the Wits teams for hosting us and providing us with this training opportunity. The results can be viewed under the 'Team Results' page, Pre-season Friendlies.

News: 19th July '07
Urgent Request

Yesterday evening around 5:45pm our u15 players from Doornkop were attacked whilst on their way home from training. They were attacked and beaten up at the Engen garage along Roodepoort road, whilst people went about their evening business...NO ONE did anything to stop this atrocious act of violence by local thugs.

This is becoming a serious occurance and I would like to implore any visitors to our website, who have the capacity, to contact the Chairman if they are able to contribute towards transport or a vehicle of any kind so that our youth are not subject to continued hate crimes. A case against the perpetrators has been opened in the hope that someone will come forward with information about the boys who committed this act of hate.

News: 14th July 2007
Sports and Recreation Finals

The u15 and u17 Amathole teams made it through to the finals of the Department of Sports and Recreation school-holiday tournament. Whilst both teams played to a 1-1 draw with their opponents, subsequently losing to penalty shoot-outs, we appluad their determination and teamspirit during the tournament given that the teams have only been together since February. The future is theirs for the taking during the remainder of the season.

News: 7th June 2007
The Ugly Face of Crime 2

More recently, a couple of the players have had their bags rifled through and their cellular phones stolen, during training on open municipal grounds. Later that same week, a donation of second-hand soccer balls received by registered mail from the US had been opened by our infamous postal service and a '20% handling fee' applied.

News: 10th May 2007
Mr Price Kit Sponsorship
The management of the AFA are proud to announce the conclusion of talks with our new kit sponsors, the Mr Price Group of companies. We are proud to be associated with an involved South African company who have an established record of supporting the development of sport and recreation activities amongst our youth.

As important sponsors of top South African sports teams, the Mr Price Group have probably done more than any other involved company by emersing themselves in the development of South Africa's youth through their generous donations at various levels within the development arena.

Through their involvement in the burgeoning South African economy, they have become true investors in South Africa's future. We look forward to strengthening our relationship with a proudly South African company, whilst wishing 'The Sharks' every success for the Rugby Super XIV semi-finals!

News: 11th April 2007
The Ugly Face of Crime 1

Two nights ago the realities of living in an uncertain world hit closer to home than we would have liked. After a training session on Monday around 6pm, new players forming the bulk of the u15 squad were robbed at gunpoint of a cellphone and their pocket money, which amounted to less than R20. The effects of such an incident on the young players have yet to be felt.

We applaud them for their courage and committment, which sees them walking for around about an hour before they get home every night after training. The mangement are appauld by such degradation of innocence and would like to reiterate our urgent appeal for the sponsorship of transport to insure the protection of our innocent youth. Further, I would like to apologise, to the boys and their parents, on behalf of the AFA management. Every effort must and will be made to ensure their safety whilst they are under our protection.

News: 25th March 2007
Mr Price Parkhurst Trials

The Mr Price Group of Companies continue to reaffirm their committment to the development of Sport in South Africa by agreeing to sponsor all the costs for two players from the AFA to attend trials at the Mr Price Parkhurst FC for the Bayhill Tournament to be held over the Easter weekend in Cape Town.

Linda Coka (Captain u19), Mpho Dikgoro (Assistant Manager), Suleman Karim (u17 Player) and Stanley Rikhotso (Manager) outside the Eastgate Branch of one the Mr Price Stores

This is a fantastic opportunity for the boys to show what Soweto footballer's have to offer the development of football in South Africa. The AFA will follow their progress carefully as this allows us to evaluate the progress of the Academy as a whole. Updates will be posted regularly over the course of their trials and the tournament.

The AFA management would like to thank the Mr Price Group for this opportunity and we look forward to establishing a closer working relationship in the near future.

Linda and Suleman before their departure to Cape Town for trials with the Mr Price Parkhurst Academy

News: 1st February 2007
2007 Trials

The 2nd season of the AFA is being marked by the 2nd annual trials scheduled for the weekend of the 3rd February, starting at 9am. There has already been a large interest expressed by coach's, players and other development organisations. As part of the mandate of the AFA, these bodies have been engaged with in each of their capacities, and some exciting opportunities are helping the AFA to strengthen its position within the sporting community and achieve some of the objectives it has set out to accomplish. More details of the trials and the ensuing partnerships will be posted as they begin to develop from ideas into functioning programmes.

News: 7th November 2006

The AFA head of library services received a donated copy of the special issue of the Journal of sports Sciences today from the publishing house Taylor and Francis. We would like to thank them for their kind donation and look forward to communicating with them in the near future more regularly.

We hope to acquire other related literature and reading materials from a wide variety of sources to establish South Africa's largest library dedicated to sport management and the training of players and coaches alike. Further we are in the process of establishing a research centre that will conduct medical, environmental as well as socio-economic studies to further both communities and academic research collaboratively.

News: 28th October '06
Metropolitan u20 League Promotion

The Amathole u17 showed great strength of character during the season and finished 3rd by one point and on goal difference only, consequently the management showed faith in their ability and promoted them to the newly established SAFA Soweto u20 Metropolitan League.

News: 4th July '06
USA Donation

The United Soccer Academy donation of 24 shirts arrived safely. They will be utilised during the Department of Sport and Recreation's school holiday tournament. Our most sincere gratitude for their support and willingness to engage with the broader footballing community. We hope to establish a good working relationship for the future.

News: 28th June '06
Sports and recreation Tournament

The AFA u17's and u15's entered a local tournament hosted by the local government department of Sports and Recreation for Ward 6. The idea behind the tournament is to keep the kids off the streets wandering aimlessly and exposing themselves to undue influence and dangers.

News: 29th June '06
USA Donations

The United Soccer Academy based in New Jersey, USA, has donated 24 soccer shirts for use by the boys in the Academy. This donation was very welcome indeed and was well recieved and utilised in both the local league games and in different tournaments held around Soweto. We are very grateful for the contrbution made by the United Soccer Academy and hope to establish a long-standing working relationship for the future.

News: 26th June '06
Local Business Support

Bongi Lamula, a local businessman and Caltex franchisee, has been a long-time supporter and contributor to sport development in the region. After approaching Bongi about his involvement with the Academy, as part of the AFA's attempt to entice local business support, the AFA have secured his future committment. Details will be made available as they are finalised.

News: 22nd June
AFA-SAFA Soweto MoU

The AFA-SAFA Soweto MoU has been signed by both parties to foster relations and facilitate a working relationship. The next step in the process is to approach local government bodies to acquire the neccessary facilities on a lease agreement and acquire the neccessary funds to realise the construction of the Soweto-based Academy. Interested parties are welcome to email the Chairman for further information.

News: 10th June '06
AFA-SAFA Soweto MoU

The AFA-SAFA Soweto MoU has been scheduled for signing on Wednesday 14th June 2006 6pm at the Simba Centre, Pimville.

News: 25th May '06
AFA-SAFA Soweto Agreement

The SAFA Soweto-AFA agreement is being finalised and an MoU is in the process of being established. A Formal media release is being planned for the very near future (Details of this collaboration will be posted after the media release).

News: 11th May '06
Local and National Organisational Collaborations

The AFA is currently finalising a number of collaborations with local and national organisations, institutions and government bodies. Details will be published as soon as terms and conditions have been agreed.

News: 22nd March '06
2006 AFCON Response

The AFA has drafted a response to the AFCON Report published in the Sowetan, which will be available soon in pdf format.

AFCON Report Response '06

In February of 2006, South Africa’s Premier football team, Bafana Bafana, returned home from the African Cup of Nations (Egypt) without having won a single game or even scored a single goal. The fans even went so far as to ‘boo’ their returning hero’s at Johannesburg International airport. The team, coached by Ted Dumitru, was a team of young stars chosen as South Africa’s new hope for the 2010 World Cup to be held in South Africa.
Whilst the occasion can be put down to a ‘learning experience’ for the young stars, we cannot as a professionally operated institution continually lose ground every few years to a new ‘learning experience’. What is needed is continuity and this can only be achieved if there is a solid foundation on which these rising stars can build. Such a foundation is to be found in the sports development and preparation of its young players for the national leagues. A player better prepared for the national leagues has a greater opportunity of contributing to an improvement in the game within its professional league structures. This in turn would provide better preparations for the transition of players to the international programme.
The following document is a response to the AFCON Report compiled by Ted Dumitru and Simon Ngomane (members of the Safa technical committee), as published in the March 24th edition of the Sowetan. It both challenges and provides support for their ideas.

1.It was noted that for several years there has been a decline in the quality and performance standards, which had been met with indifference or irrelevant answers.

All national league coaches’ inputs by way of documented comments and reports will be archived for scrutiny and development purposes. These will be housed in the Academy’s library. All activities within the AFA are subject to a peer review mechanism as outlined within the Safa Soweto Agreement. The Academy is committed to engage in a follow up process of all players contracted to the Academy. This will ensure that outputs are monitored effectively as they pertain to the advancement of players to the professional leagues. This could potentially also facilitate knowledge of potential referee and coaching candidates.

2.“There needed to be a firm implementation of a realistic and pertinent technical policy and its essential technical objectives should have addressed key factors responsible for the progress of the game”.

Key elements from this report and other available material from a variety of sources will help to inform the backbone of the Academy’s mindset and approach to the technical objectives of the Academy. The Academy will also endeavour to consult with Safa head office as to the relevant policy that it wishes to implement so as to better inform the Academy’s policies.

3.The report talks of a “critical erosion” of performances threatening the successful participation at the 2010 World Cup.

Whilst the Academy will not adopt a reactionary response to successes or failures experienced at both the national level and the level of the Academy itself, it shall entertain criticisms from all interested parties. These advisements will help inform a solid foundation from which the Academy will grow. Careful scrutiny of all results enables a progressive approach to solid policy and implementation procedures.

4.The report talks of discarding “surrogate and/or imported solutions and models of performance”. It qualifies them as “completely irrelevant to our conditions, nature of players, state of the games development, etc”.

It is the position of the AFA that football in South Africa should embrace other approaches without allowing them to dictate the style of football being played. Without this approach being adopted, we become close-minded, lacking the progressive attitude alluded to earlier. Players eligible for national selection need to adapt to the conditions, playing standards and style of competitors. They need to be trained to assess, during match-time, the strengths, weaknesses and style of play of their opponents; football requires mental ability as well as physical. To not exploit all avenues of knowledge as it pertains to the development of football, will render South African soccer to the international rating it currently deserves.

5.“There is no alternative but to resort to radical honesty and promptness”.

It is problematic when there is a belief that any form of honesty does not exist at the top levels of management. Outside opinions enable a more 3-dimensional view of ones environment. Safa should also be work-shopping ideas from interested parties on a continual basis for the development of the management structures at all levels of the game, including their own. This would incorporate a more inclusive approach to policy formation and not the top-down approach of so many western organisations. Responses and solutions to a perceived problem should not be reactionary but well thought out and should address long-term implementation, not short-term solutions. Follow-up procedures and assessments of long-term implementations should monitor their effectiveness.

6.“By indulging ourselves in post-failure analyses, dispute and endless recommendations – without implementing the necessary solutions – we actually do disservice to the national interest”.

A procedure of analysis and implementation followed by an evaluation period in which implemented solutions are scrutinised is crucial to the development of the game and to sport in general. Post-game analysis, regardless of the outcome, is a crucial component to staying ahead of developments of the game and should be accepted and encouraged from all interested parties, including the fan-base. If ideas are not entertained, we close our minds to possibilities.

7.“Primarily and fundamentally, we must accept the fact that South African football does not enjoy the status and conditions of a truly national sport, as compared to the models of the leading football countries on the continent and in the world”.

A conference of interested parties from the top down to the part-time coaching and administrative staff of local clubs needs to be convened for the purpose of developing a national marketing model. Statistical analysis of sports fans across South Africa, from media viewership of all sporting events to available funding alluded to in the report will help inform the football community’s marketing strategy to ‘win the hearts of our people’. We are a nation ‘in love’ with the diversity of sport from all disciplines. Sports will always be competing for attention from the general public, as a football community, we need to make football more accessible to the broader public, not just the ones that can afford a television. We need to infuse all aspects of the country with the culture of football, and football into people’s culture in order to capture the public’s hearts and in turn appeal to governing bodies to recognise its role in society. We need to build a community of fans, with the same fundamental purpose.

8.It is noted that leading football nations enjoy 70-80% of the national resources dedicated to sport. South African “national teams, clubs, youth development and coaches’ education projects are restricted to approximately 15% of the total amount of corporate sponsorship, government assistance, private investments etc…The Safa cannot be solely responsible for the state of our football”.

The South Africa public, like many other countries such as Australia, enjoy a wide variety of sporting events. Consequently, we must accept that all sports in this country are eligible for support from national resources dedicated to sport. The alleged 70-80% of national resources enjoyed in leading football nations is not possible in South Africa. Government allocation of resources for soccer and its related activities, such as education, should be challenged if it does not reflect the proportions of support it receives from South African sport fans. This is however not feasible if soccer does not perform in the international arena as other sporting codes have. The salaries of professional soccer players far exceed those from other sporting disciplines where achievement in the international arena is often more consistent.
In order for the status of football to change, the football community needs to develop a marketing strategy that appeals to corporate sponsors. This needs to be accompanied by consistent achievement on the international field. This condition is not prone to South African soccer alone; cricket and rugby suffer from the same lack of consistency. Our primary objective should be consistency, from which we are able to build success. That consistency needs to be implemented at the development level first and foremost.

9.The report mentions 9 difficulties arising as a consequence of such inadequate resources:

a.“An exhausted selection pool that is incapable of supplying players of excellent quality who can match the demands of international competitions – especially in the categories of full-backs, playmakers and strikers”.

The AFA is committed to providing the professional leagues with not only quality players, but players whose mindset is trained and ready to cope with the strains of professional football. In order to address the need for players to cope with the demands of international competition, the AFA will conduct specialised workshops to better prepare players for their transition. The workshops will work on specialised skills development as well as strength, agility and speed. For this purpose, the AFA will develop a video-assisted training centre that draws on games both from the national leagues as well as international competitions and leagues. As the need arises, specialised positions as highlighted by national bodies, such as fullbacks, playmakers and strikers, will be targeted to facilitate the national interest.

b.“Huge disparity between a relatively high competitive level in the PSL and the shabby technical standards of the professional teams (see the harmful effects and confusion created by the influence of too many irrelevant football ideologies or models)”.

The AFA has as one of it’s primary objective the upliftment of South African football, and particularly that of the Soweto leagues. It aims at providing a foundation of players with the necessary skills and training to ensure highly competitive graduates eligible for the professional leagues. These objectives will be supported by an equally competitive and well-trained foundation of coaching within Soweto. A strong foundation in all aspects of the game is essential to building a strong fortress of nationally and particularly internationally competitive teams and players. However, the AFA sees as one of its objectives, the ‘gathering’ of knowledge, an essential component to the success of competitive football. A variety of ideologies and football models need to be extracted and scrutinised to effectively ascertain a ’winning formula’, applicable to a South African style and approach to football. The role of coaches is to mould players; too often this is neglected for group training. A regular individual analysis and approach to training is required to ensure that players stay on their own path of development. This can only be achieved with more qualified coaches at the foundation level.

c.“A decline in the performance of the senior and junior national teams”.

In order to maintain performances of players or the player pool, there needs to be a more scientific approach supported by a broader base of potential players. With more qualified coaches at the introductory and foundation levels, the number of technically capable players will increase providing the necessary pool from which to fill the gaps when one or more players’ performance drops. Individual programs, both social and technical, for players will also ensure that each player has a personal development program that will allow for more focused evaluative methodologies. This should ensure that a problem is recognised sooner.

d.“Obscure performance of our clubs in the continental competitions”.

This is a problem that is being experienced within the rugby ‘super xiv’ as well, where individual clubs are not performing as well as the national side. The expertise and approach that we utilise when preparing the national team for international competition should be explored. Further, football could also utilise techniques or approaches to pre-event preparation from other sporting disciplines. The mindset of players is a fragile entity that requires constant nurturing. This is often an aspect that is neglected for the sake of practical skills. If an athletes mind is not trained to focus ‘in the moment’ on the ‘task at hand’, then s/he will be unable to shut out the distractions preventing him/her from performing at their optimal.

e.“Non-existent high-performance youth development programmes”.

The AFA intends to fill one of these gaps within the Soweto region, however, discussions need to be work-shopped and the size of such performance centres needs to be effectively evaluated for the output expected from Soweto according the number of players entered in the local leagues. Further discussions should also address the structure to be taken in these programs that should be re-evaluated on a regular basis as gaps emerge in the national set-up. Individual approaches should not be discouraged for the sake of a single-minded national approach.

f.“The absence of a united national coaching and playing concept that contributes to a lack of technical discipline (see the clash of contrasting coaching doctrines in the PSL)”.

It is the opinion of the AFA that a united coaching concept should only be enforced at the national coaching level, and allow for a broader use of concepts across the PSL and other leagues. The national approach, however, should be widely publicised for the benefit of all coaches to adapt and mould as they wish. This will allow for improvements to the national coaching concept that can be reincorporated as they are seen to work on the ground.

g.“The rare and unacceptable situation where there are no regular programmes of physical education, sport in general and football in particular in schools”.

The initial impetus should come from the department of Sport and Recreation in conjunction with the department of education. Then, through the actions and collaborations of the AFA in local areas and in collaboration with local schools and school coaches, the AFA will help support these programmes of physical education. Future discussions with Safa development will map out the way forward for the Academy more effectively.

h.“The lack of support from the ministry of sport and recreation in founding coaching education schemes, district and regional youth development centres and establishing a national high performance centre where the national teams can be prepared”.

The AFA has already indicated its commitment to establishing a referees and coaching education programme once established. The Academy will provide the use of facilities at its proposed ‘Mofolo Park’ venue. Further discussions on the design of the centre will help to facilitate this and the use of the facilities for high performance evaluation. The AFA will support national initiatives where it can and or work in collaboration with the ministry of sport and recreation. It is advised that the AFA is not the only facility of its kind within the broader region of Soweto, but is happy to flagship the concept for the region.

i.“The general media’s indifference towards promoting the modern principles and preconditions that are responsible for maximising a nation’s football potential”.

The football community needs to take responsibility for its own development. Once there are these structures in place and they are shown to be working, the media will themselves be more amenable to the promotion of sound principles. As advised earlier, the ministry of sport should implement a national life-skills development programme that can and should be utilised at all levels of coaching. The AFA will assist with the implementation of these programmes through workshops at its local facilities in Mofolo.

10.The report then goes on to list two groups of priorities, which take into “consideration the time factor and complexity of tasks“, to take the process forward. It notes the “misleading perception that four years is sufficient to prepare the national team for successful participation in the World Cup campaign”.

Time and the use thereof is an important factor in developing an effective approach. South Africa is on the mend, this needs to be acknowledged, and instead of reacting to this, a national 20-year programme must be allowed to develop and take its course in order to lay a firm foundation on which future sustained success can be built. The recent successes of the ‘apartheid struggle’ were built on the development and foundation of resistance of previous leaders, both local and foreign.

a.The first group “comprises solutions and challenges that are…extremely urgent…highly complex and essential to performance” such as “certain crucial aspects of players’ development” and “have long-term input to performance”.

i.“Appointing a qualified and progressive South African coach who culturally identifies with the players. Two assistants, one analyst for assessing matches and players’ performance and a technical adviser should be included in the technical team (task to be completed before April 1)”.

Previous ‘foreign’ coaches have been criticised for not knowing or being unable to effectively manage the players. Some of these coaches have gone on to greater success in other countries (Phillip Troussier and the success of the South Koreans). The fault here lies in the lack of respect and professionalism of the players towards coaches in general and their approach to the game, as is shown when they have on more than one occasion held South African soccer for ransom at key moments for money. Through an effective social development programme that does not allow for the development or ‘glorification’ of players like the ‘Jabu Pule’s’, this lack of respect can be overcome. Players need to know that they must constantly work at what is required of them and what they want to achieve. Overseas travelling needs to be strictly monitored to maintain the focus of the players.
The technical staff structure is supported by the AFA, as this approach will also be taken at the Academy. Some of the proceeding deadlines are not possible, reactionary and counter productive; more effective approaches should be discussed with long-term solutions to identified problems.

ii.“Combating irrational calls for adopting contrasting foreign game philosophies and employing foreign coaching expertise (the latest performance analysis of non-African coaches working in Africa shows that their input into the development of football in the continent has become insignificant or even regressed)”.

The use of foreign approaches, coaches and expertise is not all bad, but can and must be used and implemented effectively. Foreign expertise should not be allowed to benefit only the national teams, there should be programs for local engagement across all levels, such as the coaching programme held in Pimville at the Simba Centre on the weekend of the 11th of April. This should however, not be a once off and should be exposed to all coaches more effectively (half the coaches didn’t know about the programme). The idea is for South African soccer to appropriate the necessary skills from different programs and adapt them, not merely incorporate an entire approach or programme. The performance of the African continents football on the global scene shows little development as a whole over recent years. The problem is not always someone else’s, we (as players, coaches and administrators) must take the responsibility for not being able to adapt to a constantly evolving game. We must train ourselves to become the leaders, not the followers, but first we need to establish ourselves.

iii.“Identifying 35-40 players who have the potential to reach international standards in the next two to three years (to be completed before May 1)”.

This approach is seen as a short-term, reactionary solution that is too limiting. The number of players identified for 2010 should be at least 70-80. This will allow for a number of the players to fall out from an accelerated development programme that will be needed to prepare the players for an excellent performance as hosts. This will require more financial input from local business and government. Funding is too often set aside for the infrastructure and salaries to build the capacity and not nearly enough is put aside for the elite performance of players. Again, a May 1 deadline will not allow for a well-conceived plan of action.

iv.“Establishing an information and research unit to provide comprehensive data basics on player profiles, performance records and progress monitoring, multi-factor match ratings, medical information, analyses of opponents, research programmes and international developments (should be activated immediately)”.

The AFA has committed itself to the establishment of a text and video library for the advancement of football and the benefit of both coaches and players alike. Along with future collaborations at Wits, this should produce the necessary analysis and research programmes to advance South African soccer. Match statistics, player profiles, performance and progress monitoring and other analysis techniques will be incorporated into the Academy’s technical framework. These methods will also be work-shopped with local coaches along with access to the proposed computer centre to facilitate this approach more widely.

v.“Ensuring a centralised training and match programme of 8-10 mini-training camps and 10-15 short camps for friendly matches per season, for the next three seasons or years (to start before May 15)”.

An approach of measuring ourselves against international competitors should become standard, regular practice and not reliant on upcoming competitions. There needs to be regular assessment of the national squad in Africa and on a more global front if we are to compete more effectively. Effectively implemented training camps will bear fruition if conducted on a regular basis, not only before international competitions.

vi.“Introducing new training components (complex anaerobic preparation) at all levels where high performance is targeted (immediate action required)”.

The AFA will, as part of its coaching development workshop series, workshop ideas at all levels of the game to promote the development of foundation players. Initially the focus will be on the development of the Academy into a high performance centre, but an eventual outcome of the AFA’s activities will be the promotion of training components to all levels within the SAFA Soweto structure. The stronger the foundation, the stronger the structure.

vii.“Planning and implementing a match schedule of international challenges for the next three years with an average of 25 matches per season or year. Possibilities of playing national teams that are preparing for this year’s World Cup in Germany should be immediately considered”.

International competition must be constantly used as a benchmark on which to judge the progress of our national teams and national development programmes. This will be an important process towards attaining certain goals before the hosting of the 2010 World Cup. We cannot afford to lose sight of the fact that South African football is a professional game with eligible players across the globe, hence a figure of 25 international games per season seems implausible, but we should aim at establishing a regular amount of international exposure beyond the parameters of AFCON competition. A large number of international friendlies will enable a broad spectrum of participation and exposure by eligible players. National teams preparing for the 2006 World Cup are entrenched in their preparations for Germany and South Africa’s focus should now fall to those countries not burdened with this preparation. These teams can be used as a benchmark for where we currently stand. Once the 2006 World Cup is over and teams have returned, we must utilise a period for analysis of participants’ performances and then engage with them in our preparations for 2010.

viii.“Restructuring the policy and programmes of all youth national teams (new objectives, new training and match programmes, superior coaching) and aligning them with the mission of the senior team (completed before April 6)”.

The AFA is in agreement that South African football would benefit from a restructuring or re-evaluation of national policies and programmes. Such a process should be ongoing and subject to regular peer review. All levels of football need to follow a structured, professional approach to football development, including their approach to competitions and league implementation. Nationally represented teams should follow a similar regime of training and style of football, whilst still allowing for particular coaches’ different styles and approaches. One way of doing this is for SAFA to formulate a template on which nationally selected coaches can base their own approach. This approach needs to be approved before implementation to allow for accountability. All national land professional league coaches should be invited to formulate a national concept, not only senior national coaches. SAFA should publicly draft an annual mission for football in South Africa based on a post-season evaluation and the gaps that are seen to exist. This will allow for the development of a national ethic and collective drive towards attaining set goals for the forthcoming year.

ix.“Introducing strict requirements for the qualifications and uniformity of the game mentality and approach of all coaches involved in the high-performance ranks and development structures (before July 1)”.

Qualifications can be complicated when trying to compare them, with the most qualified coaches not always being able to communicate their ideas effectively. African qualifications and other global qualifications are also incomparable if a particular coach does not have experience in Africa, yet, this may also work to the coaches advantage. Having said this, there needs to be a policy on minimum requirements for any particular national posting. Uniformity is what cost the British when fighting the ‘Boers’. The AFA, and South Africa as a new democracy, prides its accomplishments on strength in diversity of cultures, ideas and practice.
Life skills and support structures are important resources required by the modern athlete and coach in order to balance the pressures of nationally and internationally competitive disciplines and will ensure effective focus on the tasks of attaining desired results. Collaborative workshops to attain joint objectives allow for a broad spectrum of ideas and input.

x.“Reinforcing the technical leadership of the technical committee with the addition of experts on coaching (two or three), sport medicine and a strategy analyst or researcher on international developments, information on opponents etc. (to be completed before April 1)”.

Once again, the deadlines are unrealistic and reactionary, but the ideas are important for long-term development. A good, expansive support team will ensure effective management and preferred results. For the 2010 World Cup, this is an important task that requires immediate attention. After 2010, the positions need to be cemented and made as permanent as the team coach and players themselves.

b.The second group refers to actions to be taken, some concurrently with the urgent priorities, on the areas of mass youth development, general football coaching education, support systems and technical education of our fans:

Mass youth development will be more effective than mass high performance youth development in building a solid foundation for the long-term. However, there needs to be a focus on providing the necessary opportunities and infrastructure in developing a complex national web of high performance youth development centres. The AFA is again committed to the development of coaching and coaching education across all levels of management, including school coaches. Technical education of the fans is an important factor to be considered in the build-up towards 2010. An educated public will be supportive of a technically sound approach and style of soccer and not promote exhibitionism in players, particularly the younger generation. The media can play an important role in this development through the use of visual media being supported with textual supplements.

i.“Increasing youth participation by at least 50% in the next 2 years. New programmes targeting school football development, with special consideration being attached to basic development at the primary school level must be initiated. A parallel programme should be initiated by the sport and recreation departments in conjunction with Safa regional structures for the opening of youth football centres whenever possible. As soon as possible, the game format of 11-a-side should be replaced with smaller teams (5-a-side and 8-a-side) at all under 14 echelons (before January 2007)”.

Increasing participation needs structure that is currently unorganised, inadequate and unprofessional, such as local (non-SAFA) tournament implementation not being strictly followed with the conduct of coaches unacceptable and counter-productive resulting in the undermining of achieving the objectives set at the national level. The AFA, as a youth football centre, will contribute to basic development with the implementation of free bi-annual u9, u11 and u13 training clinics for both players and coaches over 2 weekends. These objectives will be well supported with an annual 5-a-side tournament to be held at the Jabulani Amphitheatre. In order to better prepare the u15’s for the competitiveness of 11-a-side football, we recommend that this should only be replaced at the junior levels up until and including the u13 level, 14 year olds are already competing in the u15 teams.

ii.“Inculcating uniformity in the game approach, selection criteria and training methodology in the network of youth development schemes at professional and amateur club structures (before December)”.

Whilst there are some advantages to uniformity for national structures for the purpose of producing guidelines, this is not an approach supported by the AFA. The Academy will utilise information and approaches from all sources both national and international for the purposes of producing a globally competitive structure and approach. The AFA will commit itself to utilising any and all resources made available to it by SAFA and its technical and coaching staff, including selection criteria.

iii.“Introducing the ‘football instructor or coach’ certification for schoolteachers and community aspirants (before March next year)”.

This approach is a positive one in providing school-team players with the basic requirements to provide SAFA with the foundation required for future developments. It is at this juncture that Academies are able to pickup from and provide a broader, more professional approach to football training. The AFA is committed to providing the use of its facilities for the purpose of administering ‘football instructor or coach’ certificate programmes for local educators.

iv.“Organising national leagues for the under 17 and under 19 age groups (before May next year) and a PSL reserve league (compulsory from the 2008 season) as preconditions for maximising youth performance potential”.

Both these objectives are seen as important steps towards accomplishing the long-term objectives alluded to in the AFCON Report and shall enjoy the AFA’s full support. This will provide the players and fans with a nationally competitive league to support the efforts of the SAFA national and professional leagues. It is seen as an important contribution towards preparing the players for the national and international leagues and has proved successful in South American countries. A reserve league has also proved successful in supplementing premier professional teams in other European countries and the AFA welcomes this inclusion.

v.“Instituting nine high-performance provincial centres and a national high-performance centre for the national team’s preparations (before September 2008)”.

Such an approach provides the structures necessary for player aspirations and the advancement of performance. However, the satellite feeder centres should not be excluded in the implementation and budgeting process, as these high-performance centres’ advancement of players will be reliant on the attainment of certain objectives and training standards as set by the national body. The effective use of all facilities down to the satellite centres is an important consideration in attaining the high standards for future development.

vi.Reviewing, as soon as possible, the position of football in the national sport concept and policies.

It is the objective of all football structures to inspire a national passion for football. This is best achieved through results and more ‘match-time’ goals. Exciting football becomes the passion for a nation, which inspires both fan and subsequently commercial support. This will in turn provide the impetus needed by national bodies to review a national sport concept and amend policies accordingly. A drive towards obtaining this objective by the national football body is necessary in a country with diverse sporting interests and disciplines competing for limited resources.

c.Finally, the report suggests that the game needs to be recognised as the major sport in the country by all sport stakeholders such as government, corporate business and the media. It claims that superior performance standards in football cannot be met “if the game is on par with other sport codes”.

Before ‘sport stakeholders’ recognise football as the national sport, worthy of the attention it seeks, the football community needs to prove itself both on the field and in terms of its commitment to socio-economic issues. Soccer in most European countries enjoys media attention because it is able to attract the crowds necessary for commercial exploitation. The objective should be the attraction of the people first and the media and sponsorship will follow. Having said this, football should not compete to the exclusion of other sporting codes, but rather in collaboration with them. Sport must be shown to be as effective a tool for poverty alleviation (through its activities) as tourism. In the current literature, sport and tourism are intertwined and in some cases indistinguishable from each other. Let’s work together towards making this country a shining example of ‘Africanness’.

"The AFA shall pursue all opportunities available to it in producing a premier training facility. The management structure will seek and entertain ideas and advice wherever it is given. It shall also strive to commit to education development and social upliftment of the greater Soweto region in attaining its goals. The AFA is an open, non-discriminatory organisation that exists for the benefit of communities, both social and organisational".

The Amathole Football Academy Board