Owen Da Gama might not be saying it, but he must surely be feeling very undermined.
Shunted down to mere assistant role with his national Under-23 squad for the recent Cosafa Cup, Rubberdoll now looks in danger of also playing second fiddle at the Olympics in Rio if media pronouncements by Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba are anything to go by.
Bra Shakes, displaying a lack of understanding of that noble tip - there is no ‘I’ in team - all great institutions are built on, came across as a man intent on usurping Da Gama from his role as Under-23 coach.
“I was pleased that I managed to win my second Cosafa Cup,” he said in an interview with the Daily Sun. “I was happy overall with the boys at Cosafa.”
Really? Surely the decision by Safa to use the regional tournament as preparation for the Olympics should have seen Da Gama taking charge and Mashaba playing a supporting role?
But then again one gets the impression that Safa just don’t have faith in Da Gama. This started way back when the Under-23s where in Senegal for the African Championships that served as qualification for the Olympics. When they didn’t win their opening match, Safa CEO Dennis Mumble spoke of the need to send Mashaba over to help the team. It might not have happened, but still that was a huge vote of no confidence in Da Gama.
And then Cosafa happened. Now, with the Under-23s out in Japan for a friendly, Mashaba expressed his desire to go there.
“I’d like to be at the game,” he said “But I did not travel with the squad on Sunday because I have some work to finish up in the office.
“I’m still hopeful of getting to Japan.”
Come on Bra Shakes. Let Owen get the squad ready. He is, after all, the national Under-23 coach and you are in charge of Bafana Bafana.
Granted the technical team has organised a synergised system where there is a link for all the squads via the coaches who work together.
And there can be no denying that this is a fantastic system that will ensure all four coaches know exactly what is happening in the other teams.
But while working together, the incumbent at each national team must be allowed to lead the charge.
Incredibly, Bra Shakes has made it clear he wants to go to the Olympics.
“I’m available to help at the Olympics,” he said.
And given the fact he has previously been to the global showpiece, many will feel his experience will stand the squad in good stead.
Yet it should be in a helping capacity and not as the man in charge like it was the case at the Cosafa Cup.
Mashaba taking the lead of the Under-23 side will only serve to confuse the players who will probably start seeing Da Gama as nothing more than an assistant.
What happens when he is solely in charge then? Players won’t take him seriously.
But then again the former Platinum Stars coach is perhaps paying the price for being hand-picked by Mashaba for the position. - The Star