Incoming Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane has called for greater inclusion of white players in South African football, particularly in the country’s top schools and professional leagues.
The 62-year-old coach believes more needs to be done to ensure football becomes a major sporting option at schools such as Paul Roos Gymnasium and Grey College, where rugby has traditionally been dominant.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly coach also runs his own football development programme, Pitso Mosimane Soccer Schools (PMSS), which aims to help develop young players.
Speaking to eNCA, Mosimane said football needs to be promoted more actively in South Africa’s suburbs, just as rugby is.
“If you drive around the suburbs and towns, you’ll see more rugby posts. I respect rugby, and I even have my Springboks jersey because they are my national team.
“We have to check with the Bokke, where they started and which schools the players attend. What is the programme?” he asked.
Mosimane revealed that he has already engaged with the Department of Basic Education about increasing football participation at some of the country’s top and private schools.
He believes partnerships between football structures, schools and government could help establish sustainable development programmes and give more children the opportunity to pursue the sport.
“The Minister of Basic Education came to my launch and he said, ‘Coach, this is needed.’ I think we need to move it another step and say, ‘Minister, can you also accompany me to speak to Paul Roos and all those schools so we can put the programmes in place and help the children to play football?’”
Mosimane stressed that South Africa also needs to see more white players progressing through the football development system and ultimately representing Bafana Bafana.
He believes many white youngsters play football at youth level but eventually move away from the sport before pursuing it professionally.
“White boys are playing in the youth structures but fall away. We need to showcase them at Bafana.
“In football, by the way, I can tell you 100 percent, we don’t care what colour you are, where you are from, who’s your father. If you can play football, you will play,” Mosimane added.
The coach’s comments come as South African football continues to search for ways to broaden its talent pool and attract young players from all backgrounds into the professional game.