Doomed to fail: why football can’t keep up with rugby

[@TheEntries]

Thanks for the feedback on this video. Just a correction... On the football/rugby attendance bit: The images were intended as a demonstration of "average" attendance. I used these images because the sources for the stats are either not entirely reliable or incomparable, e.g. the URC is said to have avg attendance of 11-12k but PSL avg being 7-8k. Hence the use of "typical" in the video. But these figures (sometimes not comparable because league/union/cup/ broadcast, etc), and others, aren't entirely reflective of the nuances that come up when you speak to people in sport development and when you interrogate sporting culture. This is one of those difficult editorial choices one has to make. It's my mistake. Will find a better way next time. __________ I am really keen to hear your own experiences of football and rugby in schools. Do you think we can change this and do better?

[@mayrajoo3515]

Also it's shown live on radio and TV unlike rugby must be paid channel, so many do attend via online

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

The URC includes European teams😂 The PSL is national only This is a bad comparison Imagine the attendance if Sundown or Pirates played in the Premier league😂

[@SihleFani-t6i]

Gyz the answer is simple here is this , People who running Safa are working for their own pockets on the other side Rugby is running by professional people who knows what they're doing 🤞

[@noleenpeake2164]

Absolutely mate, it's that simple👌

[@MorgMorg-uf6ps]

Same people "running" the country...same results😢

[@mechailreydon3784]

The irony really is that SA rugby can take boys from the township and put them on international stages whereas soccer can’t 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@Tebogo16v]

Wat r u talking about. We have several soccer players playing in Europe and north America. Rugby doesn't have a large international fan base. Percy tau is more followed than any rugby player in the world

[@mechailreydon3784]

@@Tebogo16v bro firstly there are far more South African rugby players playing overseas than there are South African soccer players that’s why there’s actually talks about how to keep players in the country because we’re just too damn good at developing talent and the pay overseas is so much better that we lose a lot of that talent when it comes to rugby. And secondly there’s a huge difference between playing overseas and representing your country overseas on international stages. Lastly the guys who make it abroad in football are the exceptions. You have so much so much more opportunities to get bursaries and sponsors to become something if you’re a underprivileged kid who plays rugby

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

​@@mechailreydon3784 Afcon 24? All our players where born in South Africa😂

[@mckillalaberry]

Too much gatekeeping

[@benvandermerwe4934]

The National team, not individuals. You just demonstrated your ignorance. ​@@Tebogo16v

[@roelofvanschalkwyk7454]

Damn. I am a white, afrikaans man, lifelong rugby (bulls & boks) supporter and proud South African. While I don't really enjoy soccer I would still love for people who do enjoy it to have it be successful. But I will say this is a great video - well done!! The history is super interesting and something I wasn't aware of (beyond that Afrikaans/white people favoured rugby and "condemned" black people to soccer). I don't know how to solve the problems. South Africa's funding is a limitation. And I love that the boks have been transformed as much as they already have and that black (and other ethnicity) kids are taking up the game more and more. But it is not right that people who prefer soccer to rugby don't have the same opportunities in the game they love. Thanks again for the video. Hopefully with such great content things can get better in the future.

[@Zwane031]

Really great video for sure

[@victorsilas5487]

I know parents back in the early 2000s who would buy their kids Carvellas for R1200, and never dare spend R400 on a soccer boot for a talented lad and that speaks to priority. Another problem in soccer growing in South Africa, are the gatekeepers. There is enough talent for us to compete internationally, rugby recruits the best around the country while soccer gatekeepers are ready to sell to the highest bidder no matter how useless the player can be.

[@tsaki_titan]

Black parents even tell their children ,"stop playing sports, focus on books."🤦🏽‍♂️🚮

[@badge5575]

It's true though most people that make it are nepotism babies

[@tsaki_titan]

@@badge5575 what do you mean?

[@mfundobhlabangan911]

@@tsaki_titan scouting agencies are bribed in football.....there have been many scandals around that

[@kamogelomamafa]

Its all in the pipeline to professional, theres plenty of corruption in the youth teams/academies, bribes are being accepted, money is being stolen. To prove just check how school of excellence is being run, the biggest producer of football talent in the country, they once had transnet and safa as sponsors but they have nothing to show for it

[@markymark8]

Football in this country is a cesspit of corruption, incompetence and apathy from the top of SAFA down to grassroots levels. I feel for the individuals trying their best to swim against the current. There is no shortage of money for football development, but that money disappears at every level as it passes down the chain. There is an unfortunate history to the football and rugby codes in this country, but those problems could have been solved a long time ago if there was the will to do it.

[@jonnyOysters]

Right. If it was purely about cultural divide why did Bafana peak in the 90s, right after the end of apartheid? Kids can play barefoot in poorly maintained fields. And still develop talent. Programs looking for talent can sponsor them boots and kits and help with training. If they were serious about developing it wouldn't matter if the parents were wealthy or not. Or went to watch their games. What matters is the organization trying to build SA football, tried to build SA football.

[@markymark8]

@@jonnyOysters A very good friend of mine is involved in development and lower league club football. The stories he tells of what happens locally and nationally make me weep for football in our country.

[@MorgMorg-uf6ps]

Thats the SA story😢

[@naeemallyza]

Our FIFA ranking in 1996: 16. Our FIFA ranking today: 57. You can draw your own conclusions!

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

That argument makes no sense How were South Africa 16th if we didn't play many games?

[@maxnator]

Well in 1994 bafana bafana was ranked 95, you can make your own conclusion. In 1984, eskom had loadshedding while providing electricity for 10% of the population, you can make your own conclusion

[@taahirmayat740]

​@@maxnator they were ranked so low cause they just got re-admitted to international football..

[@thenomad47]

@@maxnator The "loadshedding" in 1984 was because the ANC damaged a power station in a terror attack. Look it up. Hell, they also attacked Koeberg, a NUCLEAR Power Plant, which would have irreversibly harmed South Africa with Nuclear Radiation. As for the 1994 Ranking for Bafana, they were literally kicked out of Soccer rankings for 10-15 years, and were only allowed back in in 1994, so, had to start from the bottom and worked their way back to rank 16 from 95 in a timespan of a couple years.

[@kabelomolefi6412]

Why we looking for a corner in a circle? It's straight forward that corruption is killing our football.

[@TheEntries]

I'm stealing that expression :D It's brilliant. To your point, corruption is definitely huge, but I really wanted to also highlight the nuances of sporting culture, the differences therein and their impact in the lower rugs of development.

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

​@@TheEntries You didn't do any of that😂

[@craigsparks1442]

The parents of rugby scools are also very involved, parents contibute by helping to find sponsors, they help with catering, they help with gate duties, transport and all sorts of other tasks. Even the less financially privileged parents contribute where they can... Rugby is a completely different culture. This is not even limited to white parents, black and coloured parents are very involved in the rugby culture at school rugby schools. Soccer scools sit around waiting for hand outs from the government. It's a shift in culture, all of these soccer coaches talk about waiting for government budget, the government is NOT going to help you, you have to learn to do everything yourself now.

[@TheEntries]

In the last interview clip, the coach talks about this culture difference. It's very eye-opening. I wasn't aware of the full depth you just described. Thanks for this.

[@ARI_ARI...]

I totally agree, as a person that attended a "former model C" school you tend to realize that the majority of the sponsors for rugby is actually the parents of the kids. I totally agree with the last 2 interviews because as you are playing soccer there's literally no parents there but for rugby, the white parents will be there from the U14 games early at 9am until the last game of the day. We can't make excuses for the soccer parents because they'll literally just be chilling at home doing nothing.

[@craigsparks1442]

@@TheEntries a good example of how this is not a race issue is Jeppe, they are a fantastic school of predominantly black pupils, their boys are the most polite and well mannered kids who have bought into the rugby culture as with their parents. No my son is not at Jeppe, but if soccer schools want to learn about fixing their sports culture they need to look at schools like Jeppe. My son is at Monnas predominantly white pupils , although there is a strong rugby culture at Monnas it does not compare to that of Jeppe, so this is not a black or white problem.

[@mackyj7801]

You can add Dale, DHS etc to the list

[@albertmiller2electricbooga897]

I'd imagine rugby being amateur for years longer than soccer probs lends it to having more people willing to volunteer, and ofc being stereotypically for the wealthy, more would've been able to, coaches being notionally amateur before 1995 probs meant that some were fine to keep doing work for free for longer

[@RK-ln6kg]

Safa is run like the anc.

[@WTG194]

lets be honest, our soccer administrators are just not professional or serious, there's plenty talent in this country from all backgrounds but the development is not taken seriously by these politicians pretending to be administrators

[@adriaanjagers9919]

No transformation in football like rugby

[@mxolisimagubane3204]

No race was barred from playing soccer. White South African players don't want to play for teams in the lower leagues, want to play for the big three teams immediately. The argument for transformation in football is weak and ill informed.

[@dinrshanpillay3467]

It's anc looting here

[@shubielechesa8836]

What do you mean by that? I don't ever recall SAFA barring white players from playing for the country. Unlike in Rugby which was the law at the time, that black Rugby players couldn't play for their country. Besides, white "South Africans" can't play football, unlike their European counterparts.

[@MeiA-h9r]

First step Get rid of Danny Jordaan He is Not taking that job seriously

[@RR-ri4vn]

First step pick more coloreds and white players leave this BEE crap

[@Deontjie]

It is really as simple as that. Just like getting rid of Cele made the police better.

[@buhlenthemvelases]

He IS THE REASON…always been

[@mayrajoo3515]

Because soccer must source players from all races. There's talent in all races but no one cares about them. Do what rugby is doing and see the transformation instantly❤

[@cs0654]

Spot on.

[@maxnator]

This is not a race issue

[@mayrajoo3515]

@@maxnator No it's not about racism at all. What I am saying is there are many youth of all races who love and talented in soccer, the country is not developing it nationally because it will acquire national interest and pride like rugby did Just like before stadiums were not full in rugby but now the team is inspired to play for South Africa knowing how much we go through and how sports lifts us up and unite the country. Soccer has not done that because only a select few is focused on

[@isoboy1000]

What you don't know is that when coming to race, soccer in SA has been in the forefront of inclusion way ahead of Rugby. Rugby had to be forced to include black players they didn't do it on their own. The problem is level of development and infrastructure in township and rural schools.

[@KKOPPONG]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@isoboy1000soccer is not more inclusive than rugby. Soccer is and has been dominant in poor areas while rugby has been dominated by better run schools that cost more money. The barriers to entry for rugby have historically been higher purely because getting into those schools is difficult anyway. A sport like soccer is easy to enter because you can get it anywhere so when you say rugby had to be forced you’re incorrect. Access to the schooling by kids of different backgrounds is what had to be forced. You had to force schools not force SA Rugby. Rugby in SA has always started at school level whereas football has been through academies. This has everything to do with non-white students getting access to good schools than it did rugby reforming. You even say in your own comment that it’s development, infrastructure and rural development. EXACTLY! It’s the environment so when blacks are exposed to those environments from school level which is exactly what makes rugby successful. SCHOOLS.

[@lukeozade9957]

Hyper ironic is basically a video blaming it on afrikaners, racism and white south africans when the national Rugby team is currently our most representative sport. If you are good you get rewarded with a bursary at top rugby schools thus helping from grassroots to the boks. Meanwhile bafana is heavily prejudiced towards white player even today. I've seen so many Portuguese and english boys that play professional football not selected. Football is seen by the black ownership of the sport as a black sport. Also on top of that our rugby side plays good basic rugby. Bafana for a long time only wanted to diski and ignore fundamentals. Now lately they've become more pragmatic. And people forget how much worse corruption is in south african football compared to our rugby and even cricket.

[@lukeozade9957]

@@musa4747 i meant south africans not europeans. South africa has south africans of multiple generations of Portuguese, english etc. Decent.

[@lukeozade9957]

@@musa4747 when i say english and Portuguese i don't mean people from portugal or england. They are english and Portuguese heritage born and bred south africans. Sorry for the misunderstanding but as i assumed most south africans refer to their ethnicity first then our nationality. A zulu, xhosa, afrikaner, venda, Portuguese, english etc.

[@prestonhartlief]

These people are just stupid. Blinded by their own racism

[@craigsparks1442]

Corruption... It's simple.

[@craigsparks1442]

@@runningman2989 well Jeppe is a school with probably majority black pupils and they have a thriving rugby culture, where you will see in the parents stands a lot of black parents supporting their kids and at the tuck shop, gate duties and the like, this isn't a race issue it's a sports culture issue. Handouts versus active participation by the parents.

[@johnledwaba8551]

Absolutely correct

[@rams7932]

I wish I can give you 1000 likes 😂😂😂 The was a time when south african football had toyota, Caltex, Coca-Cola, chippies, etc sponsoring soccer. Then corruption started to the l level of inter-province. We need guys like shoe mazibuko to run school soccer again.

[@SibusisoNgcobo-qb7st]

I don't think so it about who has more

[@decepticon8000]

South African soccer players lack discipline, I can see how corruption could have something to do with that.

[@blackmonday5295]

Time to admit that the past 30 years are history too and that soccer squandered that with corruption.

[@MorgMorg-uf6ps]

Same happened to the country😢

[@antonmoller624]

A big difference between the sports is that top contracted rugby players are highly disciplined and professional, top contracted football players are playas who drink copious amounts of alcohol and party all weekend long. They are both paid massive salaries for 20 somethings but footballers have not half the work ethic of their rugby playing counterparts.

[@izakbisschoff8712]

Discipline is one of the biggest issues. Why is it necessary that soccer players are ‘forced’ to sleep in a team hotel before matches?

[@lllllllll772]

Yeah there is a discipline problem in south african football culture even before the players turn pro its evident But the lack of support from safa is a much bigger problem

[@valurogers99]

@@izakbisschoff8712Rugby Teams do the same aswell!!!

[@toemas8]

As a white person i remember watching the CAF cup thinking wow we can only get better from here with soccer. At school if i had choice I’d rather have played soccer, but most of the guys had to join a club. I went to a mostly English speaking school, one day we went to the hall we had to go in groups of what sport we wanted to play … there were far more in hockey and soccer than rugby. It actually pissed our Afrikaans principal off to no end. Soccer in 90s in Cape Town at least was big amongst coloureds, whites and of course blacks. If everyone was proud of our soccer team and we had more races in the team we would do better and I think the attitude would change.

[@otuefiom5730]

Must you mention your race?

[@toemas8]

@@otuefiom5730 well I wish I didn’t but there is a perception I’d soccer in South Africa being a ‘black sport’ same as rugby was seen as a ‘white sport’. If sports are owned by the nation they will flourish. Any sports aim should be to widen its appeal.

[@fredlenz4743]

The ANC for 30 years talked big, but service deliver has been non-existent. Stupid policies, the BELA act, continued head in the sand statements that a defunct Apartheid system is to blame coupled with the corruption and ineptitude of the ANC in seeing passed outdated political doctrines has put South Africa back decades. If the elite political members and cadre received no kickbacks, nothing happened. The cadre employed only lined their own pockets, and most if not all knew nothing of the positions they were employed in. And the least important to the ANC were the people who they supposedly liberated. Just follow the money and the lifestyles of those political kingpins. A shack dweller has no chance, but the "politicians" don't give a damn!

[@thenames_maiz9769]

I really enjoyed the convo u had with the coaches,they told me things i just didnt even know they knew. I rlly thirst for information on the sports and where i stand in terms of athletics cuz i feel like i am aproaching something great but i dont know how to get there so i really start appreciating this vids❤❤❤

[@alexlemon27]

I got scouted by Moroka Swallows at u/15 level whilst playing for Edenvale FC. Had to pay R1500 per year to play for Edenvale, didnt have to pay to play for Swallows. But my parents couldnt afford to drive me from Edenvale to Germiston everyday for training

[@TheEntries]

Interesting. What exactly was the R1500 for and how come it was not required at Swallows? Did they explain?

[@alexlemon27]

@@TheEntries I guess it was to register as a player. Not sure why I didn't pay at Swallows. They just said I didn't have to

[@OGLechaba]

At a grassroot level, I agree with the Curro Soccer Coach, black parents don’t show up for their kids

[@Star-hg1kt]

B.S almost all the legendary players parents didn't show up but they made it, even the last maestro Teko Modise. Today's players are just mid.

[@lyznav9439]

If the parents come they will be even better

[@Star-hg1kt]

@@lyznav9439 Im sure our parents attending games wouldve turned us into Messis of the world LOL. It wouldn't turned most of us even into a Teko, a player who had no support but made it. The difference is talent, its not rocket science ba inkomo yi nkomo

[@valanceo2166]

You know, growing up in the 90's, we faced many tough football schools from different provinces, and being from a government school myself, we had quite passionate and gifted coaches. The problem isn't just development and corruption, but also there is no representation of all races within the professional ranks. There are gifted players but they play overseas because they know they won't be seen by the bureaucracy which is SAFA.

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

Like who?

[@moraka_moalosi]

This is such a beautiful insert, informative, well summarized, very difficult topic to tackle. You did a great job here. Its good that we are having more channels looking into South Africa 🇿🇦... Keep posting, will keep watching

[@Jonker47]

Also take note that rugby has unions which acts as custodians for their provinces. And SARU only delegates to the unions on development KPI's and implement national tournamets. This competitive nature between unions to be the "best" pushes for better development in their provinces. Football on the otherhand has clubs, which acts as businesses with their own seperate goals in mind. And clubs can rather focus on being profitable i.e. buying and selling players instead of investing in their communities, that is why we see slow development. SAFA also doesn't have any custodians to my knowledge besides football clubs which all act in their own interests. Basically, rugby has a good governance structure and football not.

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

SAFA doesn't do enough in terms of grass roots development,that's why clubs do it themselves

[@that3401]

Let's be honest here fr the only reason were good and dominant in rugby is beacuse we along with a few other countries actually take it seriously there's no competition in that sport and its the same countries dominating and competing while the rest of the world don't give a crap where as in football almost every country competes in it and there's so much competition from continental down to regional. The fact that our Round of 16 win against Morocco in Afcon has more views than us winning the RWC final tells you all you need to know

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

This guy speaks about soccer from a Rugby perspective This comment section just proves it

[@RubiousGlagorious]

sorry to burst your bubble but the 2019 rugby world cup highlights alone have have more than 4 million views with just the two first videos, the Rnd 16 AFCON match against Morocco doesn't even have 3 million views with the first four videos, you can't just make facts up my guy. Saying their is no competition in Rugby just shows you how little you do know.

[@that3401]

​@@RubiousGlagoriousHow I watch some rugby and know enough to say its the same teams always competing like NZ England and France with no competition beacuse it's gatekept and no one else cares. Italy have been on the up for like the past 10 years and they're still ass and even a major nation like Australia the sport there looks like is dying and getting less popular (union at least). You have to admit rugby is becoming more of a niche and less cared about sport in the rest of the world other than NZ or SA and thats why we're so good and why the northern hemisphere are ass as they focus on more popular sports

[@brianodriscoll2725]

I’m a soccer fan with zero interest in rugby but the point the video is making isn’t about the national team of rugby being more successful than the soccer. The point is that the rugby union actually put money and resources and coaching structures in place from a young age. I played soccer growing up and the talented guys on our team had shocking coaching unless picked up by a pro team in their late teens.

[@asndahlongwane-hh1md]

​@@that3401that's bcoz you only watch those matches... Teams that are power houses in soccer like France take rugby very seriously... There are over 20 teams competing in the world cup excluding 7s and the national leagues ofcourse

[@don_chanGD]

Got this recommended to me, absolutely loved it, the interviews and on the field work! being an irish rugby player, I have alot of south african teammates so its always interesting to learn about your sporting culture

[@User949F62]

The biggest difference between football and rugby. Football is a sport, but rugby is a religion, and that belief has been instilled in every boy and every girl that have ever picked up a rugby ball and ran with it.

[@nonkululekoxekethwane6795]

This is a well rounded analysis. Well done

[@n-tertainmentx-tended4760]

The difference is: rugby union is well managed (at least at school level). Soccer is terribly managed, and a lot of funding goes to waste. Also, rugby has iconic heroes like Siya Kolisi. What about soccer? Who do youngsters look up to? There's nobody because the men's soccer team hasn't accomplished anything.

[@LiquidNation100]

While you are correct with the better organised school's structure. Your statement on football not having idols comes from a place of ignorance. Every generation, since the 40s, has had footballing heroes to look up to. Rugby players are shoved down our throats more as they receive more endorsements due to the spending power of their core followers. Cup of Nations X1 Cosafa Cup X5 Afro Asia Cup X1 Kings Cup X1

[@n-tertainmentx-tended4760]

@@LiquidNation100 It's not about spending power. You need no more money to play rugby than soccer. You may not like this, but future kids aren't going to want to play soccer - they will prefer rugby. Rugby is no longer viewed as a posh sport, played by the elites. It's probably as common among bl@ck kids as soccer, currently.

[@clintduplessis4508]

I completely agree that grassroots football needs to be improved and managed better. While it’s true that the men’s team hasn’t been the most successful on the global stage, South Africa has still produced countless football legends like Jomo Sono, Quinton Fortune, Benni McCarthy, Bradley Carnell, Mark Fish, Lucas Radebe, Shaun Bartlett, Steven Pienaar, Aaron Mokoena, and Nasief Morris etc. The real challenge is understanding why a country with so much raw talent struggles to put together a truly competitive squad on the international level.

[@keithjulie7873]

Not true. Only recently with the 2019 and 2023 RWC has Siya and other rugby players been recognised in the black community. You can ask any youngster in the townships and they will remember heroes like Lucas Radebe and Doctor Khumalo, John Moshoeu from AFCON 1996 still today.

[@kiboma4209]

​@@LiquidNation100he meant south african idols, not foreign ones 😂

[@ghostcrabman]

Rugby has fantastic role models, it’s very family friendly, it’s open to players of all shapes, sizes, colours. Gone are the days of 96 with Fish, Radebe, Tovey, Shoes, Bartlet, etc. Those guys represented the whole country and made us proud. Now soccer is just a corrupt mess.

[@Arti-iChi]

Guys...I'm 50 years from a disadvantaged background...so was huge when I was growing up in the coloured community...with many leagues...yet , why do I not see coloured players in the team... Now we want to say it's the colonizers fault... It's about talent...come on.. Decades ago Bafana had all races playing...now its not representative 😢😢😢

[@chesterdonnelly1212]

Could it be that diversity and inclusion has to be forced? If a group is allowed to dominate then it will. Black or white, it doesn't matter. If a tribe is allowed to dominate other tribes it will. It is human nature.

[@Enoch940]

Is becos of tik

[@lightningRatPack]

Not only that same bafana have openly said racist things around minorities. Bafana, openly supports the EFF which happily supports violence. No one should support such a team.

[@ZDFP]

Isn't our best player, Williams, coloured?

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

​@@ZDFP Dean Furman was captain from 2013-2015😂

[@christoduplessis8177]

It is simple, I have seen it first hand, when 7 year old kids play rugby they will have a painted grass pitch, safety equipment, a medic and a referee. When 7 year old kids, oh nevermind, they don't even have a league where 7 year old kids play football, nevermind within the same conditions.

[@maxnator]

@@dannyarcher6370 when the government tries to step in, who runs to court and screams discrimination?

[@Deontjie]

As a small company owner, I buy equipment and provide transport for the young soccer team that one of my workers coach. I don't even donate one cent to the local rugby teams. Not even when my own son played for the school.

[@christoduplessis8177]

@@dannyarcher6370 I don't know, you tell me. But I promise you the government does very little from grassroots rugby. Distill that a bit further.

[@christoduplessis8177]

@@dannyarcher6370 don't you know? That isn't the point I was making, the point is at grassroots levels rugby has a passionate base of support that organize the game and make young boys fall in love with it. Only then does schools and the government etc come into play.

[@jksinorbit]

The reason rugby does better is that the Rugby schools get proper coaching from early on. Football in Europe gets taken very seriously and the coaching structure for kids is crazy.

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

You can't compare Europe to South Africa😂 How many of those same players are playing for African national teams?

[@walesboy04]

Wow man. I clicked on this as it was a catchy title, enjoyed your presentation so much I ended up watching all your videos and they are all fantastic. Great work brother- keep it up.

[@TheEntries]

Oh snap. Thank you. Slowly but surely.

[@jamesmswenko8292]

Every sport loving person should watch this, amazing coverage, dude.

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

This is not a good video Made by someone who doesn't understand South African football let alone watch it

[@rogercorreia6292]

Unfortunately with soccer in South Africa nearly everything has to go to through SAFA. And with SAFA many things are are run on a what can you do for us as the people running SAFA and not what can you do for the game or the children playing the game.

[@xAvaragex]

Simple. Implement football at primary school levels. I went to go play rugby when I was because my teacher told me to

[@atangselikoe6605]

Brilliant video bro. Keep up the good work. Hoping for more videos of this calibre from you. The coloniser joke killed me😂

[@TheEntries]

Thank you, more on the way.

[@pieterbadenhorst2718]

Very well done and unbiased video. Keep it up man 🙌🏻

[@TheEntries]

Thanks, always trying to get better at this.

[@EnigmaKingdom]

Quality video bro. Keep it up

[@makhuphukamnguni9782]

Good video. But it's not a race issue or colonial history. 1. It's the economy of the country. 2. Mentally of community support.

[@MorgMorg-uf6ps]

SA Football has low standards and lacks ambition (just like the government). Football is a reflection of the state (of disaster)😢 Rugby reflects a united SA with the highest ambition and respect for all people.

[@tshiamogeneke4931]

You’re doing seriously important work.🙏🏿

[@brandonheim]

Imagine if the Proteas and Bafana Bafana were given the some love, attention as rugby and run as well as rugby is. We would be a sports powerhouse

[@pieterlindeque7798]

The Rugby culture in S.A breeds elite athletes who play for pure competition and pride for their nation. The football culture is much more lackadaisical and the players are more interested in being "superstars" than true elites. Rugby players in S.A play for glory always and forever. The mindset elevates the sportsmen.

[@lloydheadbush724]

Fantastic video essay, well done ❤

[@Lindi-v2p]

Excellent presentation and so truthful, more please 🙏

[@RebaLeeuw]

Guys SHARE the video to everyone you, it might make a difference!!!!

[@Lizwe]

Also important to remember, if you searched for the top 20 most expensive schools in the country there's no football, only rugby, cricket, water polo, hockey etc. These schools can easily provide infrastructure, facilities and resources and elevate the sport to even greater heights.

[@ElethuDuna]

This is very eye opening. Thank you for this lesson.

[@nostalgiakitty2057]

This Video started off with a conclusion then selectively chose details that match it's conclusion, very inaccurate to the actual reason why Bafana cannot compete

[@orlandontsala5912]

Let's try to make soccer a South African sport, all things will fall into place

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

Soccer is the biggest sport in this country 😂

[@daaichommie708]

Pre-1998, South Africa had a very competitive soccer culture. People forget that out top division at one stage was equivalent to the modern day MLS in the sense that many top soccer players from England who were past their prime, would travel and play in our league because it still produced top quality ball and was competitive. The real reason our soccer declined is because SAFA essentially dismantled the league system that was in play. Our old system was designed so that you had the best players from entire areas competing against each other from grass roots level. You didnt have things like Pinetown Districts or Durban Central Districts. So instead of there being just 2 teams from a particular region (eg Durban South) you now have a dozen teams who play against each other. In other words, it went from best vs best (or more competitive), to minor leagues where no one really gets noticed or theres no constant quality opposition/teams. Also because you now have a dozen teams from one area, the fields and venues are under funded and officials regularly just dont rock up. The interest and passion from a junior level is all but gone. Our football used to be competitive. Make no mistake. Obviously we would never be world beaters but we were no walk in the park.

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

So less teams equals better development and higher quality players😂?

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

So less teams equals better development and higher quality players😂?

[@Wolf-hh4rv]

It’s NOT about facilities. My grandfather played on pitches that were simply patches of veld dug up (by the players) and all plant matter and stones removed. No grass. No poles. That was South Africa in the 1920s. He played for SA railways and then played a bit for Transvaal. It’s called passion.

[@naeem-hf7xx]

Back in 2017 to 2019 (gr. 10 to 12) a friend and myself wanted to get football started at our school in Port Alfred. We never achieved that dream but I imagine its the same for many schools around the country that dont have any football teams. Its sad that we dont have the same support to produce young talent for Bafana Bafana as we do for the Springboks.

[@sizwe.babye.c]

In South Africa football has an aspect of lower class where as rugby is more of an upper class sport hence funding and exposure is different

[@randomuruk7230]

Funny because it's the exact opposite in Europe.

[@IonizedComa]

Which is weird. Because the highest paid players in the world are football players. It's a more popular sport. South Africa just knows rugby makes them money so they stick to what they know, they are too scared to invest in football because of all the corruption scandals

[@Star-hg1kt]

Football almost everywhere draws talent from lower class LOL. Doesnt make sense coz even when we were good, we drew from lower class. Use ur head next ⌚

[@Tebogo16v]

​@@IonizedComasoccer has more money than rugby in South Africa. Soccer is far more competitive

[@IonizedComa]

@@Tebogo16v more money in terms of ground development? HIGHLY DOUBT IT.

[@rushnande3731]

Majority of Rugby players went to private schools where there is sports facilities and nurturing of talent from very you age. Whereas Majority of PSL players went to public schools and there's no nurturing of the talent from young ages. But it's slowly changing now

[@francoisdprob]

Cool vid bro, I enjoyed it!

[@jasondesmidt4722]

Thanks for putting this honest video together. It's always so easy to blame and walk away. But understanding the issues of why can help to provide the way forward.

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

He doesn't properly explain the issues of give solutions

[@DakaloMooi_05]

​@monwabisinond you speak of providing solutions but you still defend SA football like there are no problems whatsoever, so again i ask , why do you do this???yola7476

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

@@DakaloMooi_05 I didn't defend it, my point is comparing rugby development structures to football development structures is pointless It's not about making school boy soccer equivalent to school boy rugby, SAFA needs to focus more on grassroots football such as local and amatuer teams because that's how Football development works

[@stevenswanepoel7664]

Great video very insightful keep it up!

[@LegacyMakerKG]

Hey! Being a young man from Pretoria who has had the privelege of going from a public school, dominated by soccer, to a private school which eat, sleeps and breathes rugby - I find your content thought provoking. I would like to supply you with content to tell. I have been a grassroots coach for soccer for over circa a decade and debbled in athletics and rugby too. There is so much to unpack here and would be honored to divulge a few points.

[@TheEntries]

Hi there. Defs. Please send me a mail (see About section)

[@fernandvdg8368]

Bro great video BUT....... The day safa will remove race from SA football Our football team will improve

[@lukedelport8231]

The quota system in rugby was done away due to it not working we went from a top 5 ranked team to a top ten along side to disappointing World Cup tours. The reason why rugby is more professional is due to management SAFA is not run properly due to government interference and corruption the same can be said about cricket SA

[@brianodriscoll2725]

We actually have more black players now since the quota ended , and they’re actually good players who earned their place unlike the previous political picks .

[@AJakes93]

Hmmmh, you’re claiming quotas stopped just because they actually worked. Mention one black rugby player who was given a fair chance between 1994 and 2011…. I will wait.

[@rogercorreia6292]

If you want any info on woman’s football you have to speak to Janine van Wyk. She has a very well run club and puts on many tournaments focused on girl’s football. She (and her team running JVW FC) really are legends that don’t get the credit they deserve.

[@G-ManWaseKasiInManchester]

I hate our 35 year olds - 50 year olds from the townships and villages. Why has no one ever tried to get our leaders to account when it comes to such?

[@grantwilliams6418]

We still have irvan xhosa and danny jordaan running things why are we surprised it’s not working

[@ZimboInMex]

1. The Currie Cup does not have good attendance and 2. The 2010 world cup was a massive failure.

[@tshepomogotsi]

Some people can be idiots, Corruption...was it successful before the ANC administration! Which African country is successful in football? For those who will say "Ghana's Olympic team" , SA is also a multiple Danone international Cup Champions, where we trounced all comers, but we are still here. Since the topic is rugby, New Zealand also win a lot in Rugby, what has their soccer team achived? Or what about Australia, one of the most successful sporting nation, and are third best rugby nation, what have the Socceroos have done, in comparison to the Wallabies. There is no platform whete you can compare SprIngboks and Bafana, NONE! You cant compare Banyana to Springbokkkies either, ir would be a baseless task. Football is very competitive globally, and EUFA has solidified its dominance by adding more slots for European teams. Creating a national program of development will still be curtailed by management. Our challenge is leadership. The fact that people in SAFA have lifetime positions is the beginning of the problem.

[@PJNeethling-c8p]

School football needs to become a thing.

[@YesHeIsCool]

The answer is simple, SAFA. It is too political. The old guards there treat SAFA as if it's their fiefdom and it won't go anywhere until they leave. Before '94, soccer had a huge development in township schools even though it was during apartheid. While in rugby they kept development in schools, in soccer it stopped. Soccer doesn't need much, it just needs good leaders who are willing to work selflessly for the interest of the country.

[@NgolaNalane]

It's simple. Look at who's running SAn rugby and look at who's running SAn Football

[@keanoelizeo7894]

This doc was so good.

[@777lufy]

I finished matric in 2020. Most of the sponsors for our rugby team have almost always been local businesses, or to be more accurate the father's of the players. The soccer team got the same amount of support though due to the lack of programs the season was always short. The issue is usually parental support.....

[@whysoserious1174]

This video is complete nonsense. Im a black South African and Ill tell you honestly, problems with SA football have got nothing to do with how schools are - talent is discovered, schools are not sports clubs - provincial rugby franchises monitor young rugby talent when theyre still in school and they provide committed development plans, they have strong functioning non corrupt u21 academies and retain and develop their players. Its got nothing to do with support or class divisions or the govt setting up soccer for failure - SAFA was founded 32 years ago, a democratic govt 30 yrs ago - SAFA has existed in a democratic country for almost all of its existence - where is the improved development? then how are African countries many who are poorer and more corrupt than SA, win Afcon titles against richer North African nations - these points and explanations are utter nonsense, it has completely missed the point & patronizes us, come on we are not school children. The problem is the mentality & attitude of football bosses, coaches, players & fans - the problem in SA football is arrogance - this lie that football is the symbol of a free SA or a symbol of black South Africa all because of Afcon 1996's win, SA football is run like Hollywood its all about fame, making money and feeding egos. Football bosses are arrogant, theyre greedy and corrupt, theyre like politicians theyre not interested in developing theyre interested in making money - look at what happened to the money from the 2010 WC. SA Football coaches are arrogant they dont learn from their weaknesses coz they think diski is the best when its not- the only coaches whove got their heads right are Pitso Mosimane & Benni McCarthy - coz theyve developed themselves and tested their skills internationally. Players are arrogant they think theyre like Africas Brazil, theyre lazy, divas, theyve developed big heads and arrogance from the love and praise of the fans - no work ethic and no willingness to learn. Football fans are arrogant - they elevate football like its superior, just because of Afcon 1996. Arrogance is the cancer that has caused SA football to rot and fall behind, not the apartheid govt - how did Jomo Sono, Kaizer Motaung, Ace Ntsoelengoe play overseas then? Why did a semi professional, unofficial black SA national team beat Argentina in 1976? SA football bosses needs to stop being greedy for money and start respecting the game and the people, players need to work to develop themselves, learn discipline, focus and develop a work ethic, coaches need to develop themselves, learn from better countries and stop being so backward.

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

All those African teams you're thinking of and that win all the time Look at how many of their players were born in Europe?

[@MorgMorg-uf6ps]

The same was done with the country😢

[@whysoserious1174]

@@monwabisinondyola7476 The Cameroon 1990 World Cup Quarter final team were not born in Europe, The Nigeria 1996 Olympic games gold medal winning team were not born in Europe, The 2000 & 2002 Cameroon Afcon winning team were not born in Europe, The 2002 Senegal World Cup quarterfinal team were not born in Europe, The 2010 Ghana World Cup Quarter final team were not born in Europe not to mention a Southern Africa team - The 2012 Zambia Afcon winning team were also not born in Europe. Talent and building a performing national team has nothing to do with being rich schools or countries.

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

@@whysoserious1174 Did you look at at the players that played for those teams😂 Cause I'm sure a few of them where European born African football has changed a lot from the 90s and 2000s

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

@@whysoserious1174 If they won without using European born players, why are there so many playing for Cameroon,Nigeria,Senegal and Ghana today?

[@tazzdamann]

Everything that could go wrong with football IS wrong with football, so it's hard to see a way forward. Growing up, we needed to pay money just to play on a ground with posts even though the condition were bad. Amature teams were rare and even some of those needed money. Everyone in my family is either a pirates, sundows, or chiefs fan despite having absolutely zero association with those clubs. I couldn't watch european games on tv for most of my childhood, so i only started liking football in highschool. In the school i went to, football was the least prioritized sport despite it having the 3rd highest audience in SA. They did even spend money on coaches that actually analyse the game, they just made us go and kick a ball for 30 minutes. When i told my parents i wanted to play football they said it wouldn't work out and that was it. When i tried doing it myself i realised that there was a lack of accessable information on how to join a club in SA

[@TheEntries]

Oh man, thanks for sharing this. Most people have had to "pay to play" in various ways. It limits access to a potential career so much.

[@ayyitsalto]

well rounded and well researched video

[@AshMckay123]

Rugby's game play is much more exciting too watch than football's which at most times can become a snoozefest 😴

[@darelet]

Rugby looks gay. What with dudes hugging each other all the time

[@thobanivitaleous2837]

Well I find Rugby boring and stupid. I'd rather watch amateur soccer matches than a Rugby tournament.

[@AshMckay123]

@@thobanivitaleous2837 😆 Stop fooling yourself broe, u know deep down u lying to yourself! ''An amateur football match WOW' WEE .... stop the BUS, STOP da BUS, sign me up for some season tickets" ! 🤣

[@Msizi-o1o]

Could u make a video specifically on why so many players don't go to Europe or if they do they come back in a few short years and why the south African mentality of partying and what not is a hindrance to the progression of South African soccer

[@Zacaryquack]

Your missing the culture i played football as a kid it became about flopping ultra competitive, massive ego based game, where as rugby had an inclusive culture unlike football rugby doesnt bully fat kids, its really a community game football isn't, I'm now a ultral loyal rugby loving fan as its such a communal and inclusive game

[@thobanivitaleous2837]

Well you can't play football when you're fat.

[@AITCHTL]

This is a brilliant video man. Showing that its not all just down to corruption. I've always viewed the issue of our football quality as down to a grassroots level. Football is not treated with the same respect as rugby at the early stages of the game. Which is a crucial point in drawing young kids into the game.

[@JackOriginal0110]

which makes more money the south african rugby team being the best in the world or the south african soccer team that cant even win egypt in a game ???

[@ObakhePahlane-ov1qh]

Its the grass roots difference, rugbys player development begins in well funded historically white schools with thick competitions and hard set leagues, soccer here doesnt ahve an adequate funnel for player development. It also helps that rugby isnt facing much external competition from richer nations, our football is doing fairly okay for the foundation its set on to be fair

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

Exactly SAFA should focus more local and amatuer teams Our football development is decent but it should and can be so much better, without adopting Rugby's school boy system

[@ObakhePahlane-ov1qh]

@monwabisinondyola7476 true, establish a local team for each 10 km radius, have them compete with other teams in the city, the winners of the city wide league go against other Champs for a provincial tournament, then there's a national final. By the time the kids finish school they will be proper sharpened blades, the scouts have ample time to choose and foreign teams have all the players to pick, but that school boy system could be a cheate code

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

@@ObakhePahlane-ov1qh I agree with you on the local team stuff But the School boy system would be a very inefficient use funds because football is an academy system Mfundo Vilakazi made his professional debut at 17, that's school boy age What we need is proper grassroots development so professional teams can have better scouting systems

[@roystonchoffinal5489]

Sack Danny Jordaan, Simple!!! Growing up, I had to abandon my dreams of soccer because there was no real direction, no proper guidance. The coaches we had weren’t invested in helping us achieve anything - it was all about keeping us off the streets. Soccer was just an alternative, not a real opportunity. And now, countless kids are facing the same reality - dreams that will never come true because of people like Danny Jordaan. @GaytonMcKenzie, it's time to step up! Put your money where your mouth is and help us get rid of the bad apples that are killing the dreams of South Africa's youth! How many more children need to be let down before real change happens? Stop protecting incompetence and start building futures!

[@orlandontsala5912]

I hope Gayton is listening...further all the sponsorships and money in the world won't erase the fact that we South Africans chose to make soccer a black sport...the tournaments that rugby has at school levels were like the ones we had in the 70s...Your Milton Nkosis, Jomo Sonos, webster Lichaba, and many many more professionals, started soccer at the primary level and the big Clubs, e.g Teenage Dladla was recruited during high school tournaments.... start serious soccer tournaments at schools, Gayton, you will be better remembered as a visionary, and all those Toyota sponsors etc will just come on their own. Facilities at townships will be like houses ( imikhukhu) hawu nawe🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

How soccer a black sport😂? Is Rugby still a white sport?

[@sanethehappypill]

It's because of primary school... soccer ⚽ is not in model C schools, which tend to have better facilities

[@Deontjie]

It used to be.

[@KeeshKush]

GREAT VIDEO!! WELL DONE!!!

[@firminl]

Amazing Video. Well done done

[@deonswartz6881]

All the soccer players in South Africa must play rugby.

[@WIGGER_AESTHETIC_031]

I think an unmentioned thing is that rugby overwhelmingly favours genetic diversity. You need exceptionally tall players, strong stocky players, short players and very fast players. Football to me seems that most players could be interchangeable. Once SARU decided to focus on developing rugby in the black and coloured communities, we saw some great players emerge from that. Soccer mostly favours fast players, and somehow black players tend to be better than white players, as can be seen in the makeup of football teams in majority white countries still having a very large proportion of black players. The difference is that rugby has a place for both white and black.

[@johanthomas7159]

Rugby is a physical sport , Football is a technical sport . Problem is our Football structures focus more on the physical aspects instead of the technical and tactical aspects . 90% of teams don't play with tactics . Most coaches don't train the team on how they should play , build up , defensive shape , pressing , in possession shapes . All they do is jog , jog , jog , stretch , play few rondos boom training is finished . When it's time to play they be telling the players to do things they never even trained for .

[@albertmiller2electricbooga897]

It's so cool to me that Aussie Rules was once the biggest football code in South Africa, at least in Gauteng, during the gold rush before the Springboks' 1907 tour, AFL could've had internationals against South Africa instead of just Ireland Also you have a great voice for this, much better than most South Africans I know lol

[@donavinnezar]

both the schools i went to growing up were centered around rugby , primary school had 2 main rugby fields and a spare thats usdually used as a parking during games , highschool had 6 rugby fields but only 2 dedicated hockey fields so the boys hockey teams had to repurpose a rugby field in poor condition that alsways made the ball go airborne .

[@offshore_with_a_fire_emoji6810]

Great documentary

[@mackyj7801]

One thing to note is South Africa school rugby is world leading....well School boy soccer is not even number 1 in Africa

[@monwabisinondyola7476]

Socer development isn't about School boy development

[@darelet]

How many countries in Africa play Rugby? If Mauritius decided to pick Rugby it would be in the top 20 countries by default - can't say the same for soccer

[@jkmb5758]

Besides corruption at the head of the game, it is also the culture or ethic of a lot of the players themselves. Once they reach a certain level, they believe they have made it and don't think they need to put in more effort or sacrifice. This is reflected by the number of SA players scouted and signed by overseas teams, as opposed to other African countries players.

[@christoffelholtshausen3691]

So many excuses

[@sinethembamaziya2145]

The answer to this is simple what happened to the 2010 FIFA funds which were meant to cover this gap, well put our ANC government wherever there's money then you'll see the outcomes. Do a research on the 2010 FIFA funds and you'll be shocked at the level of corruption within SAFA. I rest my case.