Is SAFA setting Bafana's Igesund to fail?

Yet recent events have highlighted remarkable failings. SAFA failed to capitalise on the 2010 World Cup success, it lacks a vision, is plagued by a short-term attitude and has failed to provide a proper a development plan for nurturing young talent.

While Gordon Igesund's appointment a few months ago as the new Bafana Bafana coach was by the far the best decision SAFA has made in a long time, many will argue that Igesund's bosses are simply setting him up to fail. Sadly, SAFA remains unaccountable while players (such as Steven Pienaar, who recently announced his retirement from international football) are being served up as scapegoats each time the national team fails to deliver.

Igesund's mandate is to progress through to the semi finals of AFCON 2013 (three months away) and successfully qualify for the 2014 World Cup. This is a tough ask for any national coach, but especially one whose charges are currently ranked just 19th on the continent and 76th worldwide. Three months is just too short to make any significant progress. So if Igesund fails to meet the ridiculously high performance objectives set out in his contract, Bafana Bafana could be without a coach as early as February 2013, The South African says.

Read the full article on http://www.thesouthafrican.com