Kaizer Chiefs legend Doctor Khumalo has come out to question the SA Football Association and the football fraternity for not honouring Clive Barker, saying that the country has failed him and his family.
Khumalo was addressing the media last week at a 10bet sponsorship event in Bloemfontein prior to Bafana Bafana’s pivotal World Cup qualifying match against Nigeria.
Khumalo, who was fondly known as 16 Valve for his flamboyance on the pitch, did not hold back when asked about the impact Barker had on the national team and local football.
Nothing done to honour Barker
“Clive didn’t just build the national team; he built a family. He is the first and only coach so far to deliver an Afcon [Africa Cup of Nations] for the national team, but nothing has happened to honour him. I believe we have failed him,” Khumalo said.
“If I were to ask about his family and wife today, nobody knows whether she is still alive or not. Nobody knows. However, we know the truth because he cared for us.
“That man cared and sacrificed everything. The kind of work that he did with us was unbelievable.
Khumalo continued: So, here is a coach who brought us a star and made sure we were number one in Africa for quite some time, but nothing was done for him.
“Not even a statue was built for him, or any acknowledgement for that matter. But that is a topic for another day, because it’s a very personal one. I was furious [with how he was treated], so I think we failed him.”
Barker’s team talks short
On a much lighter note, Khumalo reminisced about some of the moments they had with Barker in the changing room.
“His team talks were not more than 10 minutes, because he knew and trusted his players,” Khumalo said.
“The only thing that he would tell us is that we’re playing against Zimbabwe, and the only difference between us and them is the national anthem, so go out and enjoy yourselves.
“We were also getting ready for a game at Rand Stadium. We had to win that game to earn a spot in the 1996 Afcon, and I believe we will play Madagascar in Madagascar.
“He was unsure, but the players said, ‘coach, don’t worry, we’ll take you to the finals,’ and the rest is history.”
