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PREPARING SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE WORLD |
Steven Pienaar has received rave reviews for a series of magnificent performances for Everton in the English Premiership this season. Kick Off spoke to the striker who is expected to play a key role for Bafana in the Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup.  Is your best still ahead of you and what can we expect from you in the Confed and World Cups? As with all games, I will give 100% effort and commitment to try help SA to perform as best as possible. They say that a player peaks at 28-years-old, so my best years must be coming up! Our national team selection is very inconsistent. Why is this and does it affect the team? I disagree. Coach Santana has been quite consistent with the core of players that he has chosen in the past 12 months - he has just added a few players here and there and tried out a few different combinations (which is normal when wanting to try get to a winning combination). Is enough being done to groom young players for our national squad? No. Youth development seems not to be as much a priority with PSL clubs as it should be. It's essential that we realise that tomorrow's stars are today's youngsters that are in real need of expert input from a young age. Otherwise they will never become "stars" in the real sense of the word. South Africa will host the 2010 Soccer World Cup next year, What are our chances of moving past the group stages of the soccer showpiece? Depends on what group we are drawn in. Every country at WC 2010 needs its share of good luck! How would you rate Bafana Bafana players compared to their European counterparts? Biggest differences are discipline tactical awareness. Also, the attitude of European league players to training is very different - it is taken more seriously, it's more focussed and intense. more interviews...
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