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'Absolute rubbish!'
Hack dismisses talk 'Bafana Bafana' shunned Boyz
BY SEAN A WILLIAMS Assistant Sport Editor
Monday, November 30, 2009
CEO of the South African Football Association (SAFA) Raymond Hack is outraged by suggestions that 'Bafana Bafana' reneged on an agreement to play Jamaica's Reggae Boyz in a return friendly game in Kingston on March 17 next year.
Hack, an instrumental figure in the organisation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, said he and his colleagues were disturbed by media reports that his nation's football team no longer wanted to play Jamaica because the latter's brand of football was negative and held no benefit for 'Bafana Bafana' who are intensifying preparation for the big show which kicks off in less than 200 days.
HACK... we are not reneging on our game against Jamaica
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"That's absolute rubbish. at no time did the coach say to me that he didn't want the game against Jamaica," said Hack in a telephone interview from Johannesburg on Saturday.
South Africa coach, Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira, had indeed expressed dissatisfaction with Jamaica's approach to the first of a two-way friendly series in Bloemfontein on November 17 which ended 0-0.
At a post-game press conference, Parreira indicated that the Boyz's approach was a defensive one aimed at "frustrating" his team as the visitors had "come with only a draw in mind". He also accused the Theodore Whitmore-coached outfit of time-wasting with their substitutions.
Hack, a lawyer by trade, also denied that the Boyz were being sidelined in favour of stronger opponents, preferably by ones who are World Cup-bound, as was reported in some quarters of the Jamaican media.
Hack explained that the decision to reschedule the game was more an issue of timing and a restructuring of the team's World Cup programme by the returning Parreira.
"We are not reneging on our game against Jamaica. What we have done is ask our friends in Jamaica to reschedule the game to a later date, possibly the FIFA date in September or October 2010 or alternatively on the March date in 2011," said Hack.
The South African football executive said that 'Bafana Bafana' would not be able to play any games during the period next year as they have also cancelled a friendly scheduled against Chile in that country for March 3 which was to celebrate the opening of a new stadium.
"We have to adhere to the wishes of the coach who does not wish to play any games at this time," Hack explained. "In fact, when we agreed to this game (against Jamaica) we were not aware of the coach's plans."
Another Brazilian, Joel Santana, was the coach at the time the games were agreed on.
The decision to reschedule was triggered by an adjustment in the South African domestic professional season, which will conclude the last day of February, and the time constraints in assembling "strong teams" for the Chile and Jamaica games.
"We wouldn't want to take a half-team to a foreign country, so we asked Captain [Horace] Burrell if we could possibly put off the game to allow us to adequately perform against you in the spirit of fair play and in a state of preparedness," said Hack.
Also, the friendly dates have coincided with planned camps in March, April and May as Parreira has reshaped the country's programme to bring it in line with the ultimate goal of properly preparing the team to play host to football's greatest show.
Additionally, and in Jamaica's case, the March 17 date for the reciprocal game is not a FIFA date, which offers no guarantee that both nations would be able to secure the release of their professionals playing overseas.
"Unfortunately, this situation is beyond our control and I would like to apologise to the fantastic people of Jamaica," said Hack.
The idea that 'Bafana Bafana' have scoffed at the Boyz's return game has not gone down well in South Africa. So incensed are they that the football association is prepared to send Hack to Jamaica in January to fully explain "the situation".
"I am prepared to fly to Jamaica and hold a press conference to fully explain the situation to the people of Jamaica," said Hack, who was in Jamaica earlier this year to iron out the details of the two-match deal.
Meanwhile, president of the JFF Captain Burrell, said the South Africans' request for a change of date was met by no resistance from his team.
"We fully understand their position and we were happy to facilitate them," he said. "We are prepared to assist South Africa in any way to better prepare them for hosting the World Cup."
"The decision to accept their request was done in the spirit of friendship and camaraderie," Burrell added.
'Bafana Bafana', which means 'Boys Boys', have travelled a rocky path in their build-up to the World Cup kick-off so far, having gone 10 games without a win. That includes eight defeats and two draws as the team finds scoring goals difficult. Their draws have been goalless against Japan on November 14 in Port Elizabeth and three days later against Jamaica in Bloemfontein.
Jamaica and South Africa had met three times prior. In the first they ended 1-1 in Kingston in 1999, then 0-0 in Cape Town three years later before playing to an exciting 3-3 tie in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Los Angeles where South Africa appeared as a guest team.
Hack dismisses talk 'Bafana Bafana' shunned Boyz
BY SEAN A WILLIAMS Assistant Sport Editor
Monday, November 30, 2009
CEO of the South African Football Association (SAFA) Raymond Hack is outraged by suggestions that 'Bafana Bafana' reneged on an agreement to play Jamaica's Reggae Boyz in a return friendly game in Kingston on March 17 next year.
Hack, an instrumental figure in the organisation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, said he and his colleagues were disturbed by media reports that his nation's football team no longer wanted to play Jamaica because the latter's brand of football was negative and held no benefit for 'Bafana Bafana' who are intensifying preparation for the big show which kicks off in less than 200 days.
HACK... we are not reneging on our game against Jamaica
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1/1 South Africa coach, Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira, had indeed expressed dissatisfaction with Jamaica's approach to the first of a two-way friendly series in Bloemfontein on November 17 which ended 0-0.
At a post-game press conference, Parreira indicated that the Boyz's approach was a defensive one aimed at "frustrating" his team as the visitors had "come with only a draw in mind". He also accused the Theodore Whitmore-coached outfit of time-wasting with their substitutions.
Hack, a lawyer by trade, also denied that the Boyz were being sidelined in favour of stronger opponents, preferably by ones who are World Cup-bound, as was reported in some quarters of the Jamaican media.
Hack explained that the decision to reschedule the game was more an issue of timing and a restructuring of the team's World Cup programme by the returning Parreira.
"We are not reneging on our game against Jamaica. What we have done is ask our friends in Jamaica to reschedule the game to a later date, possibly the FIFA date in September or October 2010 or alternatively on the March date in 2011," said Hack.
The South African football executive said that 'Bafana Bafana' would not be able to play any games during the period next year as they have also cancelled a friendly scheduled against Chile in that country for March 3 which was to celebrate the opening of a new stadium.
"We have to adhere to the wishes of the coach who does not wish to play any games at this time," Hack explained. "In fact, when we agreed to this game (against Jamaica) we were not aware of the coach's plans."
Another Brazilian, Joel Santana, was the coach at the time the games were agreed on.
The decision to reschedule was triggered by an adjustment in the South African domestic professional season, which will conclude the last day of February, and the time constraints in assembling "strong teams" for the Chile and Jamaica games.
"We wouldn't want to take a half-team to a foreign country, so we asked Captain [Horace] Burrell if we could possibly put off the game to allow us to adequately perform against you in the spirit of fair play and in a state of preparedness," said Hack.
Also, the friendly dates have coincided with planned camps in March, April and May as Parreira has reshaped the country's programme to bring it in line with the ultimate goal of properly preparing the team to play host to football's greatest show.
Additionally, and in Jamaica's case, the March 17 date for the reciprocal game is not a FIFA date, which offers no guarantee that both nations would be able to secure the release of their professionals playing overseas.
"Unfortunately, this situation is beyond our control and I would like to apologise to the fantastic people of Jamaica," said Hack.
The idea that 'Bafana Bafana' have scoffed at the Boyz's return game has not gone down well in South Africa. So incensed are they that the football association is prepared to send Hack to Jamaica in January to fully explain "the situation".
"I am prepared to fly to Jamaica and hold a press conference to fully explain the situation to the people of Jamaica," said Hack, who was in Jamaica earlier this year to iron out the details of the two-match deal.
Meanwhile, president of the JFF Captain Burrell, said the South Africans' request for a change of date was met by no resistance from his team.
"We fully understand their position and we were happy to facilitate them," he said. "We are prepared to assist South Africa in any way to better prepare them for hosting the World Cup."
"The decision to accept their request was done in the spirit of friendship and camaraderie," Burrell added.
'Bafana Bafana', which means 'Boys Boys', have travelled a rocky path in their build-up to the World Cup kick-off so far, having gone 10 games without a win. That includes eight defeats and two draws as the team finds scoring goals difficult. Their draws have been goalless against Japan on November 14 in Port Elizabeth and three days later against Jamaica in Bloemfontein.
Jamaica and South Africa had met three times prior. In the first they ended 1-1 in Kingston in 1999, then 0-0 in Cape Town three years later before playing to an exciting 3-3 tie in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Los Angeles where South Africa appeared as a guest team.
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