Eto’o doesn’t understand why Bafana Bafana aren’t a continental force

Former Barcelona, Chelsea and Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o says he is baffled by South Africa’s failure to become a force on the African continent.

Bafana Bafana qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 1996, winning the tournament. Still, since then the team has slid down losing in the final in 1998 and then claiming bronze in 2000 and then becoming a non-factor in Afcon competition.

Eto’o baffled by Bafana flops

Eto’o feels that having one of the best leagues on the continent should propel South Africa to the forefront of the African challenge both in Afcon and on the global stage.

“I am surprised that Bafana Bafana have underperformed in the last couple of years,” Eto’o told IOL.

“The South African league is well-organised. It is one of the best leagues in Africa. I don’t understand why the national team is not that good.

“The selectors have to sit down and discuss what their plans are to push this national team to another level and make it the best national team in Africa or in the world. That is possible because of the league.”

South Africa reached their peak Fifa ranking in August of 1996 soaring to the heights of the top twenty footballing nations in the world with a 16th place on the global standings.

Since sporting readmission, Bafana Bafana have qualified for the World Cup just twice (1998 and 2002) in six attempts and made a third appearance as hosts in 2010.

To make matters worse, South Africa have also failed to qualify for the Cup of Nations three times this decade and haven’t progressed beyond the last eight since 2000.

Four Cosafa cup victories have done little to offset the poor displays, and the tournament is now generally used to blood younger players into the national team setup.

An African Ballon d’Or

Eto’o believes petty rivalries and historic prejudices hold back African football when it comes to being honoured with awards like the Ballon d’or.

“We, as Africans, are letting ourselves down. We need to unite if we are serious about ending the dominance of the Europeans and the South Americans in the race to be crowned the best players in the world.

There’s no difference between us and other continents. The only difference is that Africans don’t believe in African. That is the big problem. The problem is black. The journalists, coaches and captains of various national teams in various continents have the power to vote. They don’t vote for African players.”