“When solving problems, dig at the roots instead of just hacking at the leaves.” Anthony J. D’Angelo
The EURO 2016 has just ended and life as we know has returned to normal with a quiet lull after the excitement of hugely sporting weekend for football, tennis and formula 1 racing. As we reflect on what could have been in light whatever has transpired we took time to speak a young coaching prodigy, Batandwa “Coach Bae” Ntsebeza on the status and state of local football. As we narrate this story am reminded of a saying by little known German born Social Media Influencer who said that “The African continent has so many stories to tell, it’s about time they are told, by them – not us.”
Batandwa is a citizen of the world who thinks, breathes, eats and sleeps football. He is a soccer development coach currently based in Cape Town. For the past 5 years he has been involved with the Jean Marc Ithier Soccer Academy and working closely with local schools in Cape Town.
What can be done to improve development of football in the country?
I don’t know where to start. Lots needs to be done! We actually need to start from scratch and find our identity in terms of football. We need to establish our strengths and make sure all our development structures adopt the same philosophy going forward. A philosophy based on our strengths. NOT some copy and paste philosophy that’s taken from somewhere in Europe, which is the case now.
Tell us about footballing talent in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape. Is enough being done to exploit it?
Both provinces have an abundance of talent. However I feel both provinces can do more to make the most of the talent. In the case of the Western Cape, Cape Town has arguably the best development structures in the country. It’s evident from the fact that Ajax Cape Town is competing in the PSL with a young squad full of home grown youngsters. It’s also not a coincident that two of the most dangerous players the PSL this season, Khama Billiat and Keagan Dolly, are products of Ajax Cape Town’s youth system.
Despite all of that I feel more can be done to improve the development system of the Western Cape. For example, the cohesion between local clubs and schools is non-existent. Local clubs are going one direction and the schools (where the talent spends most of their day) are going a different direction. That can be confusing for a player developing because at school he is told one thing and at his club he is told another.
“It’s comical at times, last I checked we were 52 in the FIFA World Rankings, I can’t even name 52 countries.” Batandwa on Bafana Bafana
The Eastern Cape situation is heart breaking to say the least. From what I have seen, players in Eastern Cape are more naturally gifted than Western Cape players. Eastern Cape has two major problems. The first problem is the lack of development structures and facilities. This is worse in rural Eastern Cape where most of the talented players are based. The players there grow up playing on gravel fields at best. What also killed development in Eastern Cape is the death of a vibrant school soccer system. In the past, school soccer was big and it was very competitive.
So effectively youngsters back then developed in their schools then from there they would move on to club soccer. That system worked because in the past Eastern Cape clubs were strong. At one stage there were two Eastern Cape teams in the PSL, Umtata Bush Bucks and Thembu Royals who had strong local players. Now school soccer is neglected. The players at school are coached by teachers who often don’t have the time or interest in soccer. So addressing the issue of school soccer will go a long way towards developing the talent in Eastern Cape.
The second major problem is the obscure pathway that aspiring players in the Eastern Cape have to follow in order to realize their dream of playing professional soccer. In Western Cape, an aspiring player’s pathway is clearer because of teams like Ajax Cape Town and more recently Cape Town City. So a youngster in Western Cape knows if he does well for his local club then he has a chance to be spotted and signed by either one of those teams. A lot of scouts from overseas clubs come to Cape Town to look for talent as well. A lot of clubs from Europe have satellite youth structures setup in Cape Town.
So players there have plenty of opportunities and most importantly local teams in the PSL. In Eastern Cape local players don’t have direct access to PSL because there is no local team playing in PSL, apart from Chippa United recently which isn’t enough considering the size of Eastern Cape. So opportunities for Eastern Cape players are very limited as compared to Western Cape players and that’s a shame considering the amount of talent that is there.
What is your philosophy when it comes to football?
My philosophy is teamwork, organization and flair.
Are owners in football doing enough to advance the game?
I don’t think they are doing enough. South Africa has enough talent to be in the top 10 countries in the world. Somewhere in the system they getting it wrong because we certainly don’t lack the talent or the capacity to be in the top ten in the world. I feel sometimes owners need to think more innovatively to solve problems and not just throw money at the problem and think the problem will go away. In the Eastern Cape football is played “on the table”; owners in the Eastern Cape want to buy their way to the top. That happens at the expense of development.
On the other hand in my experience I have come across a few progressive owners such as Jean Marc Ithier and John Comitis. Both of whom are doing wonders in soccer development in Cape Town.
What are your thoughts about money in football?
Money in football is a very good thing. Especially in country like ours where unemployment and poverty is rife. The money in football can go a long way towards uplifting society and communities. The bigger the soccer industry grows the more money it generates and the more people can benefit.
What are your views on the current situation at Bafana Bafana?
It’s comical at times. Last I checked we were 52 in the FIFA World Rankings. I can’t even name 52 countries off the top of my head! We should easily be in the top ten. We have the capacity and talent but we are falling short by a big margin.
What role has your upbringing played in moulding you as a professional sports coach and now ambassador for hope?
I come from a very political (NOT party political) background and I’m inspired by my fathers and uncles who put their lives on the line for the liberation of the country and the people. I understand the power of football and how it can bring about positive change to people’s lives. So my aim is to use football to make that positive change to society and people’s lives.
There are plenty of black children and aspiring sports women and men out there, what is the one advice and or message you would like to send to them?
Hustle hard and think different. Working hard alone is not enough, if that was the case black people would billionaires! To differentiate yourself from the rest it’s important to have the ability to think different, by doing so you will be providing different solutions to the same problems that people have been struggling with for ages. That’s the sort of people we need in South Africa, creative hard workers.
What does the future hold for you?
Well, after 5 years working and learning in Cape Town, I’m now shifting my focus towards soccer development in the Eastern Cape, more specifically rural soccer development. Eastern Cape is the land of my birth and judging by how I turned out, there is lots of potential there.
By Phila Bitterhout
