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A healthy SAFA-PSL relationship will benefit Bafana and SA football, says Ria Ledwaba

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 Bafana Bafana players  during training at Sturrock Park  on the 1 June 2022 © Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Bafana Bafana players during training at Sturrock Park on the 1 June 2022 © Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix

Ria Ledwaba admits communication between the South African Football Association (SAFA) and the Premier Soccer League (PSL) will have to improve as it will only benefit the success of Bafana Bafana and football development.

In recent weeks, Bafana head coach Hugo Broos was lethal with his words in criticising the PSL and the quality of players in the country.

Many favours the opinion of the 70-year-old Belgian shared publicly, while others thought that the national coach was disrespectful.

Leading up to the SAFA elective congress on Saturday, Ledwaba, who is gunning to replace Danny Jordaan as president, exclusively spoke to Sport24 this week.

For the past two weeks, the current SAFA vice-president has been campaigning and touching on various topics that plague the development of football in the country, including her thoughts on underperforming SAFA boss Jordaan.

She believes there is plenty of room for improvement in the relationship between SAFA and the PSL.

Ledwaba also sighted and sympathised with Broos, who has struggled in his first year as coach with player call-ups and his failed attempt at meeting with PSL coaches.

"It has improved over the years," she says of the communication between the two associations.

"You must remember one of the sub-committees in SAFA is the joint liaison committee.

"The joint liaison committee is where the PSL and SAFA meet. Yes, we have not been meeting regularly over a period.

"The relationship is there, but I also think it can improve. Time and time again, you'll hear a [national] coach complaining about players. It can never be a problem for the coach; it must be a relationship problem.

"The joint liaison committee must be effective; we must be able to meet regularly, but it can be improved.

"If it is improved, we won't hear a national coach complaining about players because the national coach's responsibility is to train, not to be struggling to be getting players." 


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