Ria Ledwaba says Bafana’s struggles reflect on football’s stunted growth

SAFA presidential candidate Ria Ledwaba came out guns blazing citing that the current leadership is failing the people of South Africa in terms of football development.

Ledwaba reckons that in South Africa, players are developed in the senior national team, not at grassroots level where there’s raw talent.

She went on to say that the leadership has failed to capitalise on an enormous pool of schools football talent.

The Safa vice president admitted standards had “dropped massively” in recent years.

She believes that the national team’s performance is often a fair reflection of any sport’s growth in a country.

“In South Africa, we develop players in the national team. There’s no development in the national team, no way. The development starts at the local football associations. Safa money should go to local football associations where the development must occur,” said Ledwaba during her press conference at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Tuesday.

“We then start saying that the national team is not doing well. When you have the development you are able to excel. We get about US$1.5 million, why can’t that money go to the 52 regions to build our young boys and girls out there – help us to be able to nurture talent because that’s the change we are looking for.

“Football is a national asset, it’s not for those who are elected or the people who are in the regions. Football is for the people of South Africa.

“That’s why when Bafana Bafana are losing there’s an outcry and people get angry because the results are not coming. Our people want a winning national team as they believe that we are a winning country.”