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Khoza: Bafana need not panic
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Khoza dismisses Blatter's comments.
Photo: images.football365.com
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Organising Committee Chairman of
the 2010 World Cup, Irvin Khoza, says there's no need to panic over Bafana's
poor results.
Khoza spoke in response to FIFA president Sepp Blatter's comments that
he was disappointed by Bafana Bafana's poor display recently.
Blatter, in South Africa on a four day visit, expressed his concern at
the national team's form and the lack of time they have to prepare a competitive
team for the tournament.
Khoza, however, chose to point at past hosts France and Germany experiencing
similar problems prior to hosting the event, but going on to achieve success.
He told a news conference on Tuesday: "Football is a game of opinion
and we respect Blatter's opinion.
"It's not the first time that this sort of thing happens to a host
country.
"France didn't qualify for the World Cup finals before they hosted
the event in 1998 and Germany were being written off before the 2006 finals.
"France won the 1998 World Cup as hosts."
Khoza instead chose to blame the Bafana's poor results on the lack of
players in competitive leagues overseas and the fact that South African
players have grown smaller in stature over the years.
"Maybe that's why our national team is suffering, but we have to
give the necessary support to the coach to ensure we'll be competitive
in 2010.
"We do not have too many players in top leagues in Europe. Also our
players seem to have shrunk in size since 1996 compared to the West Africans."
Safa and Bafana coach Joel Santana have come under increasing pressure
after South Africa has won just once in their last eight competitive games,
but Khoza feels this is not Safa's fault.
He continued: "The only thing that Blatter said about Bafana Bafana
is that they must score goals.
"You can't blame it on Safa, Safa does not have a club."
Football365.co.za,
17/09/08
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