Mokoena: Life after Parreira

The uncompromising player and thoughtful man sat down with African Football Media to discuss the side’s recent disappointment at the African Cup of Nations campaign, why Parreira may have already done enough to help build a team for 2010, what it means to host the World Cup in Africa, whether he will remain with Rovers and more.

AFM: Carlos Alberto Parreira resigned as coach of South Africa this week. You had expressed a lot of admiration for him. What is your reaction to the news?
Aaron Mokoena: To be fair, it was a shock to everyone connected to the team -- and really the South African people as well. It was a development we never expected to happen, but in the end, we just have to realise it’s one of those things, and it’s a situation out of our hands. It’s unfortunate that we’re going to have to move forward now without Carlos as coach, but we are committed not to take a step backwards.

This seems like a difficult blow though.
To have played for someone of his calibre is an honour for me actually. But honestly, it’s good that we had him for a bit rather than never. And he has already started the process of building a foundation for the Nations Cup (also in 2010) and the World Cup for whomever takes over. It was good to have a coach that we wanted to have for a very long time so that we could get things going in the right direction. It is undoubtedly disappointing to only be able to work with him for a short period, but he will remain to help development from a higher level as technical director, and the coaching staff will stay the same.

How much will South Africa still benefit from him before 2010?
You know, he wanted to field a team that would leave a strong legacy even after the World Cup, and I think he has made it clear that he will be available to help the national team and the players towards achieving that goal. It’s sad that he will not be on the bench anymore, but in a way that’s another motivation to keep improving. To be honest, I’m not that worried. The philosophy is there and the coaching staff is still there, and Carlos will be helping the new manager settle into the job. Everything is still moving in the right direction

Media has reported Brazilian Joel Santana as the new coach. How will he replace such a legend?
It will be a tough one for sure. Carlos was an experienced coach, and we will never get another coach with that kind of history. But we, as players, and the South African people as well, need to get behind the new manager to help him achieve what are our goals. Of course it’s not easy to take over for Carlos Parreira and to deal with the high expectations the people have for Bafana Bafana, so it’s a tough situation. But I am sure the new coach will be prepared to take over and deal with these things. I only hope that the new manager will have the same mindset as Carlos and that he won’t change much of the basic setup. I don’t think it will be too much of a difficult transition, but players obviously need time to adapt to larger changes.

Looking at the bigger picture, you captained Bafana Bafana in Ghana at the continental championship. What did that mean to you personally and what were your expectations for what was a young team?
It meant a lot to me actually. I’ll never forget my first Cup of Nations as a young player in the national team when we finished second, and to be captain at the same tournament 10 years later is great. I think about the experienced players who I was with then and how much I took from them. It was definitely an honour to be able to bring that around.
Our expectations were only to make the best of the tournament. We knew that we had a young team, and in a big tournament like the CAN with a lot of the world’s best players, we saw it as part of the process of preparing for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The young boys got a feeling of what it’s like to play against such a high level of player, and they showed what they can do. We were obviously disappointed not to go further.

What does the team need to do in the next two years to have a team that can make an impact on the 2010 World Cup?
Our biggest weakness right now is the physique of the players. We’re talented, we’re quick, but we need more of a physical presence. That’s the one thing South Africa doesn’t have. If we build that up, we could show other countries what we are made of because we have confidence in our talent. We have up-and-coming players, which you saw at the CAN. We played exciting football. Yes, it’s all about winning the game in the end, and that’s the next step to pleasing our supporters.

Do you think that part of the problem is that there are fewer South Africans playing in Europe?
Actually, that’s a very good point. If you look at a lot of African countries, they are doing well with their national teams because almost all of their players are playing abroad and they bring that experience back to their countries. I know that the South African league is one of the strongest in Africa, but - and I’m talking from the experience of coming to Europe at a young age - it really, really helps your development as a player to come here. We have too few players here, and that’s a disadvantage in dealing with the toughest situations as a team. Because, you know, I can be an experienced player and try to share that with the national team, but I can’t do anything alone. We need the players to go abroad and that’s the challenge right now. I know the South African clubs are big and they like to keep their players, but for the good of South African football, we need that.

Which teams most impressed you in Ghana?
I was impressed with the way Ghana played. Obviously they were going to be strong with home support, but they look very strong moving forward. Also, the Ivory Coast. They have a foundation of players, and they are sticking with the team and you can just see them building towards the long-term. Also, Angola did great. They were really underdogs and nobody talked about them, but I was very impressed.

What are your expectations for South Africa in 2010?
It’s my dream to win the World Cup. We don’t want to go and make up the numbers. We are hosting, and right now we are building with everything we’ve got for 2010. To me, we have to want to win the tournament. That’s it. Obviously we have to take it from where it is now, but we want to raise the flag for our country. And that’s my ambition. It’s pretty straightforward: I just want to win the cup.

And what about being hosts - what does that mean to you?
To be the first African country to host the World Cup means a lot to me as a South African. It’s something we’ve wanted as a country for a very long time. We just want to it to be successful, and to make it an African World Cup with an African vibe.
This World Cup will show people that things happen for a reason. You know, it’s easy to forget that South Africa used to be the country that nobody would ever think to visit as a black person. It used to be a problem saying that you were from South Africa, but for me, being part of this team makes me so proud. Especially with a national team of all races -- it will be great to see this and it shows how far we’ve come putting racism in the past.

Turning to your club career, there are rumours that you are headed away from Rovers. Your former club Ajax and Schalke have been mentioned as being interested in you.
I am at the peak of my career, and I’m really happy here. Actually, Blackburn offered me a contract and opened negotiations. I haven’t signed. I am just trying to finish the year and then think about any changes in the future. There are a couple of other clubs interested in me, but I want to do everything that I can with Blackburn and take it from there. What is best for Blackburn and obviously for me. We’ll just have to see.

Copyright AFRICAN FOOTBALL MEDIA

Published on FIFA.com on 25 April 2008

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