WeeklySA_AdminFOOL’S PARADISE: Ploy to use Bafana games to promote Covid jab misplaced…
By Molefi Mika
A mere mention of Bafana Bafana, be it for a good or bad reason, always gets my full attention. Pretty much when the South African Football Association (SAFA) president Danny Jordaan mentioned something about dishing out mahala tickets for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier at FNB Stadium on October 12. A well-thought-out, welcome gesture, only if it were to be done also for any other major soccer event.
Truth be told, whether people respond positively or not to the clarion call to vaccinate in order to minimise Covid-19 deaths, Bafana matches don’t qualify to be used as an incentive towards that goal. Good form or not, SAFA has always failed our team when it comes to marketing its matches, resulting in meagre crowds and opposition fans almost matching, if not outnumbering, us. To make matters worse, I recall one faux pas over the team’s kit sponsors a while ago. It revolved around things not being clear about who the team’s actual kit sponsors were, something that caused terrible confusion among fans when it came to purchasing Bafana apparel.
Mhlekazi (Jordaan) must just forget about the suicidal trick supposedly to encourage fans to attend this all-important October 12 fixture. Ironically, the same gimmick could end up drawing a “huge crowd” of about 1 500, yes 1 500, and not 15 000. If you would allow me to make a humble suggestion, sir: just offer “5 000 free tickets to fans on a first-come-first-serve basis”. That’s it.
Some of us still remember pretty useful gimmicks employed by Premier Soccer League (PSL) sponsors in the past, to lure fans to matches played at neutral venues during knockout competition finals. Let’s remind each other about one such creative example of pre-match marketing. Nearly three weeks before the kick-off of the 2011/12 Nedbank Cup final between Tshwane rivals Supersport United and Mamelodi Sundowns, there was an uproar among supporters over this match being played (as a norm) at a neutral venue.
Some fans also claimed the decision was aimed at spiting Pretoria, by virtue of the PSL bosses being based in Johannesburg. Indeed, Pretoria derbies had ordinarily failed to attract good crowds and were quite disappointing. Ironically, the decision to play the match away from Pretoria would be vindicated. As if designed by the soccer gods, a week before the final – came a league fixture featuring the same teams at Atteridgeville’s Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium. Alas, that derby would record a poor crowd attendance, right in the backyard of the two Pretoria giants!
Needless to say, come Cup final match day, Soweto’s Orlando Stadium was packed to the rafters, and, not only that, the thriller generated an unexpected carnival atmosphere! It turned out to be an exhilarating spectacle that made nonsense of earlier match boycott threats.
Post our hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals, SAFA has arguably not done anything meaningful to attract fans to our zestful Bafana Bafana matches, let alone our those featuring the beloved Banyana Banyana.
SAFA House has no alternative but to jack-up its act. Let them devise ingenious ways to motivate the senior national team through packing the stadiums, whenever and wherever it plays locally. Of course, we need a safe and healthy atmosphere for our players, officials, spectators, security and the media alike when we return to our stadiums.
Oh, still on SAFA, a Touchline Musings headline unapologetically implored: “MHLEKAZI, DON’T BRING CLUB WORLD CUP TO SA, PLEASE!”
In part, the column also said: “Mhlekazi must please come down to mother earth. It’s quite disturbing to note that he’s now jumping about with excitement that Cape Town stands a chance of hosting a major international football event.”
Concluding: “Please Mhlekazi, don’t spoil the good work you did in helping Motsepe to wear the CAF presidency crown by now being involved in this unconvincing stunt which could add to loss of lives.” This week, according to reports on the SAFA website, SAFA House posted: “The South African Football Association (SAFA) NEC has thrown its weight behind the suggestion of the FIFA World Cup (for both men and women) being held after every 2 years.”
And also: “With regards to the FIFA Club World Cup, the SAFA NEC said the issue of the short period of time left to bid and put all processes in place was proving a challenge. The FIFA Club World Cup is scheduled to take place in December.”
Thanks to SAFA leaders for their decision, which implies that their organisation should not be regarded as some one-man show. Meanwhile, latest speculation is also that FIFA is pondering to stage the latter event sometime next year.
# Molefi Mika is the author of two non-fiction books: Resilient Ntate Molemela and Dance Siwelele.
