This article was originally posted on May 13, 2012 on another blog platform.
Twenty goals… Twenty goals from a thirty-four year old player. Hats
off to Siyabonga Eugene Nomvethe. These are the kind of figures we
expect from the Premier Soccer League’s leading goalscorer.
In South African football we have many problems. Today I will discuss
two, namely: perceiving all players above the age of 30 as “deadwood”,
and secondly, a shortage of goalscoring talent.
“Bhele” – as he is affectionaely known in SA soccer circles – has
performed very well for Moroka Swallows. I am not going to attack you
with Rafa Benitez-style “facts” about how many members of the
over-thirty club (OTC) are not only alive and kicking, but actually
shining on the PSL stage. However, I do feel it is important to point
out that in South Africa there is a perception that once you are over
the age of thirty, you are finished as a player. No more talent. Your
experience is useless. And, you are just collecting a cheque every
month. It may be true that some players prolong their careers simply to
keep food on the table. It may also be true that experience is not very
useful if your legs can only carry you so far. And, it may be true that
because of some the post-victory off-the field activities of players in
the PSL, they tend to almost mirror a Brazilian player’s career path,
peaking in their early twenties and then being below standard by the
time they hit thirty. John “Shoes” Moshoeu showed us in South Africa
what discipline on and off the field can do in terms of not only
prolonging one’s playing career but also allowing one to perform at a
level near their best for a longer period than other professional are
usually able to. Bhele is another example to young players out
there of what can be achieved if you take care of yourself outside of
the soccer field. Players forget that their main asset is their body,
preferring rather to indulge in normal activities we nine-to-fivers
enjoy such as drinking and partying after games and eating our more
than fair share of take-aways and calories – let’s forget about BBM
(Big Benni McCarthy) for a moment, please, he is, afterall, still
performing better than the current generation of strikers despite all
those extra burgers kilos.
Anyway, back to Nomvethe, he has become the first player since Collins
Mbesuma to reach the 20-goal mark in one league season. Twenty goals for
a Golden Boot winner should be the norm, however, this is the dire
situation we face in South Africa. Swallows should not be ashamed of
using a golden-oldie like Bhele instead of youth. I
believe that if you are good enough, you are young enough. One’s career
is not over after 30. It’s time for experience to be showcased. If
Nomvethe and Moshoeu’s performances and achievements at their age do not
change South Africans’ perceptions that a certain age constitutes a
player being labeled “deadwood” (Pitso, I’m looking at you too), then
PSL clubs and Bafana Bafana alike will be wasting valuable SA talent
which can only help in terms of developing the current and future
generations.
My second issue – a shortage of goal-scoring talent in the country
has received ton of attention from the media and national squad coach,
Pitso Mosimane. Many “experts” have told us their opinions,
explanations, and theories of how to fix this particular problem.
Academies have been built nationwide, coaching clinics have been run,
local coaches have been given opportunities to attend courses and learn
from the world’s best coaching instructors, and the list of “solutions”
goes on and on. Nothing seems to have helped solve the problem. The
national squad’s top striker at the moment is a player who failed to
even cement a regular place in the France-based club. The best striker
in the national under-23 team, Bongani Ndulula, is currently warming the
expensively-assembled bench at Orlando Pirates. Lerato Chabangu and
Mabhuti Khenyeza who were once touted as “the next big thing” in South
African soccer have allowed off-the-field problems to negatively affect
their careers. Their stars no longer shine brightly in the PSL.
According to the football365 stats page
(before this weekend’s games), the next highest league goal scorer is
Eleazar Rodgers from Santos FC, with 12 league strikes. David Mathebula –
a midfielder – is on eleven goals. The top goal scorer in the previous 4
seasons has only managed to score 14 goals (in the 2007/08 season), 19
goals (in the 2008/09 season), 17 goals (in the 2009/10 season), and 15
goals in the previous season. None of the winners of the PSL Golden Boot
have gone on to dominate in any European league, Musona is the most
recent example. What else can be done? I honestly don’t know,
Enough of the negatives! We have an exciting finish to the PSL season
coming up next weekend. I am supporting the underdogs, Moroka Swallows.
One can only imagine how a league title triumph could help the club in
terms of marketing the brand to the younger generation as well. A league
victory could reignite the original Soweto derby between Pirats and
Swallows back to high level of intensity almost like what has happened
to the Manchester derby in recent times, where both teams are equally
competitive. However, I doubt Orlando Pirates will “choke” this weekend.
‘Til next time.
Thomas Monyepao
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