The South African Football Association (Safa) technical director Walter Steenbok has admitted that the association has failed to ‘create the player of tomorrow’, as per the slogan of the Pitso Mosimane Soccer Schools (PMSS).
Steenbok is a former Kaizer Chiefs chief scout and was instrumental behind the scenes in helping Pitso Mosimane guide Mamelodi Sundowns to winning the Caf Champions League in 2016.
Speaking during the launch of PMSS, Steenbok said the programme is important to SA football because it aligns with Safa’s vision.
“The programme [PMSS] is very important to the South African football Association, as it is line with the new technical vision that we have put up for 2013 to 2017,” Steenbok said.
“If you check, the Fifa technical development scheme that talks to about six key pillars – which is national teams, competition, academies, talent development and education, that is when you really realise that this programme becomes central.
“Also, the slogan [creating a player of tomorrow] of this programme resonates to what we failed to do as South Africa. Since 1996, what we failed to do was to be ahead of the game and create a player of tomorrow.
“The player of tomorrow requires a lot of elements. Of course, the country is blessed technical and tactically we can be able to redo things. But areas of sports science, scouting, leadership, phycological and sociological development has been left out in our players.”
Steenbok said that Safa has invited PMSS to their inaugural U-15 interprovincial tournament, that will begin on July 8, where they will be selecting the U-15 national team for the first time.
He also revealed that the association will be having a similar programme called Safa education, with its academy set to be named after the late former Bafana coach Clive Barker.
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