The latest Bafana Bafana ranking in the FIFA rankings has underlined the importance of getting the national team into shape ahead of the World Cup in South Africa, writes iafrica.com's Khaya Ndubane.

The latest Bafana Bafana drop in the FIFA rankings has again underlined the importance of getting the national team into shape ahead of the World Cup in South Africa. But instead of focussing on the national team the South African Football Association (Safa) is focusing on who will be at the helm of the association when FIFA give Safa around R1-billion for hosting the World Cup.

To say Bafana were shocking on their recent European tour is an understatement, they were simply pathetic!

As it is always the case in football the fingers are now pointed at the coach Joel Santana, but the Brazilian alone cannot be blamed for Bafana?s demise.

Safa, as an organisation, needs to shoulder some of the blame for hiring the inexperienced Brazilian coach and for not adhering to former Bafana coach Carlos Queiroz's call for proper development structures to be put in place.

But the time for pointing fingers has long gone and an urgent solution to help Bafana Bafana is needed. One such solution is to get rid of Santana and appoint a local, or a foreign coach, who has worked in South Africa for years and who knows the culture of South African soccer.

A technical team which includes some Premier Soccer League (PSL) coaches needs to appointed as soon as possible and a new captain has to be appointed as well, because let's face it, Aaron Mokoena has lost the plot as far as leading the team is concerned.

The technical team, together with the new coach, needs to identify good quality players ? at least two players for each position. They need to go to Europe and try to lure good quality players of SA origin who are now staying overseas, back home. Every player wants to play in the World Cup and most players will gladly accept an invitation to play, even if it means playing for a mediocre side like Bafana.

The January camp should give these players enough time to gel as a team and to give the technical team time to work on these players? weaknesses. The camp will also give these players time to acclimatise as well, seeing that they have been away from the country for years.

Lastly, the technical team needs to bring back the prodigal son Benni McCarthy and give him a special programme to work on his fitness. Whether we like it on not, South Africa need McCarthy, particularly since none of the strikers given a chance in his absence have proven that they can do the job for South Africa.

  • Do you agree with Khaya? What do YOU think should be done to help Bafana Bafana?