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Is Santana The Right Man For The South Africa Job?
Matthew Wheatly questions the integrity and quality of 2010 World Cup
hosts South Africa's current coach...
Never has a host nation failed to qualify for the knock out stages of
a World Cup final. However, on current form, South Africa look set to
make history and it's not a moment that will be remembered fondly by those
from the 'rainbow nation'. The country of South Africa is scrambling on
all fronts. Recent poor performances from the national team coupled with
rolling electricity black-outs have left many people wondering if Bafana
Bafana had been training in the dark.
The man trying to lead South Africa towards the light is Joel Santana.
Santana was brought in for close friend Carlos Alberto Parreira after
his fellow Brazilian resigned recently for family reasons.
It appears to have been a rash decision by the South African football
administration. Santana is a football journeyman who has had nearly as
many coaching positions as Nelson Mandela has had birthdays. Since his
arrival in April he has already fallen out with Blackburn's Benni McCarthy,
the team's best player, and recently lost to lowly Sierra Leone 1-0, not
the stability and balance South African's were hoping for.
Since the beginning of the 1990s Santana has struggled to stay at one
club for more than a year and with the coaching mercenary receiving his
largest pay packet ever in South Africa it is hard to believe that he
is doing his job for the love of the game or the help the country in a
moment of need.
Host nations as a rule have always had inspirational or charismatic coaches
leading their teams but it hard to see how Santana qualifies in either
category. Certainly if South Africa fall apart at their own World Cup
Santana won't stick around to pick up the pieces.
Matthew Wheatley
Goal.com,
14/07/2008
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