Edward Motale welcomes Doctor Khumalo’s SAFA role and calls for more legends

Bafana Bafana legend Edward Motale says Doctor Khumalo’s appointment as Vice-Chairperson of the SAFA Technical Committee is a positive step for South African football and should lead to more former players taking roles within SAFA.

“I would say congratulations to Dr, Doctor Khumalo, we’re very proud of him. I know and I hope he is going to do, not better, but best for our football in the country,” Motale told KickOff.

“It shows that our football is going into the right direction by appointing a former player.”

Motale believes Khumalo’s experience of playing at the highest level will help him make an immediate impact.

“Because before it was only (for the elite), I’m happy, at least we now have our own who is representing us. I have a belief that he is going to take us to the next level. He has played the game and has walked the game,” he said.

The former Orlando Pirates defender also argued that South African football has lacked visible legends around its national teams, particularly when players need encouragement.

“All these years in all our national teams, whether it is Under-17, Under-19, senior team, when they line-up or coming out of the tunnel, there’s not even a legend that is greeting them, just to give them motivation,” Motale said.

He pointed to the involvement of prominent former players in the football structures of other countries, highlighting Didier Drogba’s presence in Ivory Coast and Samuel Eto’o’s role in Cameroon.

“Other countries, (for example), Ivory Coast, (Didier) Drogba is there, Cameroon, (Samuel) Eto’o is there, you name them. Us, who is there?” Motale said.

“You just see these grandpas and grandmas you don’t even know who they are and what they have done for this football.”

Motale stressed that former players could support national-team squads without undermining the authority of coaches.

“Not to interfere with the coach, just to say, ‘Boys, well done, I’ve walked this road, don’t get intimidated’ (etcetera), and you’re done,” he said.

“Some positions just need the person who walked the walk. The likes of Danny Jordaan can sit there at the office, it’s fine but on the ground definitely we need people who walked the walk and who will talk the talk.”

He said players were more likely to respond to someone who had experienced the same pressures themselves.

“Because if I say something to a (national team) player and say ‘Boy! This is how you stand’ he will believe in me, because he knows I’ve walked that path,” Motale insisted.

“But when some prominent guy comes because he’s rich and wants to tell a player what to do, it gets in this ear and goes out the other ear.”

Motale, a member of the 1996 AFCON-winning Bafana squad, said he hoped Khumalo’s appointment would encourage more former players to become involved with SAFA.

“I’m happy and I hope more people who played the game will be part of SAFA like other countries,” he added.