There’s truly no better time for Safa to hit the reset button than right now. It’s post-Covid, most importantly, Vision 2022 is its final days.
The current president, Danny Jordaan, was given his chance to see his vision and he has dismally failed to come close to what he promised.
Bafana Bafana are supposed to be potential quarterfinalists at the upcoming Fifa World Cup in Qatar, but they won’t even be there. There’s not even a chance to come into the back door, we are so far down the line to have any hope.
Ask anyone today, if they would be shocked if Bafana Bafana don’t qualify for the upcoming Afcon from a group with Morocco and they only have to beat Liberia!
I dare you to go to the streets and ask the people their thoughts if Bafana miss out of Côte d'Ivoire 2023. There’s no hope!
I can go on and on about all that is wrong about Safa, but what makes me more sad is that in June, which is supposed to be Youth Month, there is no voice from the youth in the leadership race.
Bra Danny wants a third term in the Safa presidential office, because he has “unfinished business” and now apparently is calling for a Vision 2030.
He’s up against Ria Ledwaba and Solly Mohlabeng, who both have their own stripes earned at Safa but also not on the young side either.
In a perfect world, you should actually only have Ledwaba and Mohlabeng running because they at least offer a fresh new voice which might open up new spaces where the younger generation can contribute.
Instead Bra Danny is determined to stand in the way instead of handing over the baton for Aus’ Ria and Bra Solly to task it forward and give it to whoever comes next.
Aus’ Ria has earned her stripes within the Safa structures where she served at various important committees and best of all, she’s a former owner of a professional club.
So she knows a thing or two about the game and has obviously also invested and contributed massively into the lives of many current and ex-footballers as a club owner.
That’s why her campaign is focused on getting former players involved, that’s her lane and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that because our football greats have been sidelined for too long.
She doesn’t seem to have the full confidence of the voters, which are the representatives from Safa LFAs, regions and provinces.
And that’s why I’m shocked it’s not Bra Solly being mentioned as a favourite. He has worked his way up the structures to now being the Tshwane LFA president.
His victory would be encouraging to those within to believe that it is possible. It would also put Safa in a positive light because “one of their own leadership products” made it all the way to the top seat.
Look, the launch of the HollywoodBets Super League has been a major highlight of Jordaan’s reign. Even with its shortcomings, if the women’s professional league project was delayed any longer it might have been too late.
However, things are not exactly as they should be at grassroots level, where coach Simphiwe Dludlu went into the U17 youth qualifiers with a squad that hadn’t played even a single friendly match.
These are the same players that are supposed to become Banyana internationals and play in the same Super League in the next few years.
The best way forward is to draw a line, start again and swear on everything that’s we’d never fall back beyond this point.
We’ve said this countless times before yet we’ve managed to set a new low as a football nation.
It doesn’t sound like Bra Danny will be made to answer for the failures of Vision 2022 either, but is instead a firm favourite to retain his position as president despite all these failures.
All will be decided by those who sit at the upcoming election congress at the Elective Congress on Saturday.
The football leaders will converge on Friday already. They’ve been having meetings canvassing for support for their preferred presidential candidate.
Whether it’s Aus’ Ria, Bra Danny or Bra Solly who win the election this weekend, we will need to do things differently.
There is no better time to change direction than now. We’re not where we want to and are supposed to be as football nation.
It’s time for change. Change for the better.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za