Former Kaizer Chiefs and South African international, David Kannemeyer, says Bafana Bafana will not qualify for future FIFA World Cups if the country continues to lose local coaches to overseas clubs.
Speaking to Touchline News, the five-time league champion believes that former players do not get enough coaching opportunities.
“As ex-professional players, we are not getting opportunities because people feel threatened when they employ us,” says the former player.
“You can see that it’s hurting our football when legends are not involved in the game – we have the same dilemma at the national team level because how many ex-professional players are involved with youth teams?
You can’t tell me that we are incapable of doing the job. European countries like Germany, England, and Netherlands have ex- professionals involved in the game. What about us?”
The 45-year-old has been unemployed since parting ways with Cape Town All Stars two years ago and is considering working abroad if the opportunity presents itself.
“Benni McCarthy was fired by Amazulu and he is now at Manchester United, Quinton Fortune is working in Mexico [for Deportivo Guadalajara] and Bradley Carnell is in America [Major League Soccer] working for a big team.
If we can’t employ our former players, who played the game at the highest level, and prefer to bring in coaches from outside – what is the plan for our ex-players then?
No disrespect to coaches who come from abroad – why are we not using our people? Look at all the African countries at the FIFA World Cup – it’s all ex-players. And what is stopping us from doing the same when we have all the experience in the world?
We are always complaining that we don’t have strikers. Where are Mark Williams, Pollen Ndlanya, and Shaun Bartlett? Why can’t we employ them on our national teams? What about Lucas Radebe and Mark Fish?
If we don’t wake-up we will not qualify for another World Cup. I’m also looking outside the country because there is no work for me in South Africa. I recently went to Ghana, and if I find a
job there – I’m out. Since I lost my job during the Covid 19 pandemic I haven’t had a job and it’s not just me. Many ex- professionals who are not coaching.”