We are more serious about our soccer teams than we are about our country’s well-being. When the final whistle blew at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, football puritans across South Africa were beside themselves with joy.
That whistle was not just a piece of nickel-plated steel. It was a scholar’s pen jotting yet another historic moment into South African football folklore. It was a symbol of unity.
For Mamelodi Sundowns to lift that R110-million-worth trophy was not merely a dream fulfilled for an entire generation of players who had never touched continental glory, with the exception of Themba “Mshishi” Zwane, who lifted it 10 years ago. It was also a lifeline for embattled coach Miguel Cardoso.
And, of course, the Portuguese football sensei was never embattled because he lacked tactical intelligence. Quite the opposite. He has achieved more than many coaches could ever dream of. He is among the few managers to reach a CAF Champions League final three-consecutive times, finally snatching the honours at the third attempt. Yet, this is the same Cardoso many Sundowns faithful wanted gone just weeks ago. Thankfully, Sundowns management exercised sobriety.
Now you are probably wondering what this has to do with politics. Well, if a coach appears to be dragging the club down, supporters will pester management until the man is gone. The respected Dr Irvin Khoza was once quoted warning a coach: “I can no longer protect you from the wrath of the Orlando Pirates fans.”
The coach resigned.
It is common cause that football fans do not hire coaches. But isn’t it ironic that they can fire them the moment results begin to resemble a streak of incompetence?
Can voters fire politicians?
That contrast bedevils me. Voters hire politicians, yet do not know how to fire them.
When do South African voters ever collectively evaluate performance and force management to act? Whom do you ask to fire a tekateking (unstable) president? Do you ask the ANC chairperson?
Ironically, unlike Sundowns boss Tlhopie Motsepe, Pirates prince Mpumi Khoza and Chiefs supremo Bobby Motaung, who inherited influence in football institutions their families controlled, our political leaders are not born at Luthuli House. They are directly placed there by the voter.
Was it not Bobby Motaung who once brazenly told Chiefs fans that he was not voted into his position? For many, it sounded like a joke. But for me, Motaung was right. You cannot remove someone who was never elected in the first place. Well then, we elected our ministers. Why can’t we fire them when they fail to deliver the goods?
As a parting shot, there is now a possible on-pitch leadership crisis looming at Orlando Pirates. Their treble-winning coach, Abdeslam Ouaddou, has threatened to fire himself.
During the post-match conference, where many expected him to celebrate ending 14 dry years without a league title for Ghosts, Ouaddou hinted he might leave. Not because he under-delivered. Because he over-delivered. His reasoning was simple: he is exhausted and needs time with his family.
That is real leadership. Unelected leadership. Self-firing leadership.
The shocking part is that our politicians, many of whom cannot even fire incompetent HODs or municipal managers, expect to be re-elected.
They want the same voters they stole from to reinstall them to public office.
- Mogakane is Sunday World correspondent in Mpumalanga.
- We are more serious about our soccer teams than we are about our country’s well-being.
- When the final whistle blew at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, football puritans across South Africa were beside themselves with joy.
- That whistle was not just a piece of nickel-plated steel.
- It was a scholar’s pen jotting yet another historic moment into South African football folklore.
- It was a symbol of unity.
