Firstly, let me thank everyone who has sent me congratulatory messages on email, on social media, via phone calls and even in person since it was announced that I had been promoted to Editor of the biggest soccer publication on the continent, Soccer Laduma.
It has been overwhelming to see the love and support from everyone – colleagues, club officials, coaches, players, supporters and everyone I have come to know through this Beautiful Game. As Peter mentioned in his column last week, it has been just over a decade since I joined this wonderful publication and to say I have enjoyed this ride would be an understatement. Being part of Soccer Laduma has been so special! It has been an absolute honour and privilege, as I know for a fact that there are millions of people out there who would give anything to be in my position. Being here has also been the closest I have come to being a professional footballer, a dream I unfortunately couldn't fulfil for a number of reasons… those who know me and were lucky enough to watch me play will understand where this comes from.
This massive responsibility has been bestowed on me by Soccer Laduma's fantastic management and editorial team under the watchful eye of the legendary Peter du Toit and my brother, Clint Roper, who have travelled the same path to ensure that you – our wonderful readers – are educated, informed and entertained through the content put together by our committed and passionate editorial team. The torch has been passed on from generation to generation and it fills me with pride to know that these two experienced campaigners, among other members of the editorial team, have so much faith in me. They have always been supportive and continuously expressed their desire to see me wearing the captain's armband one day. I can vividly remember Clint's words almost a decade ago when he called me aside and said, "My son, you and I are going to take this publication to another level one day." And before your mind starts to stray, 'son' in this case is what Clint and I have always called each other and there is no disrespect intended. His words proved prophetic and the fact that he's the one to pass me the baton makes it even more special.
Thank you to everyone at Soccer Laduma for your vote of confidence and support over the years! I'm aware of the magnitude of this position and the expectations from everyone involved. I promise not to disappoint.
My commitment to you, our wonderful reader, is that I will lead this team and continue to bring you only the best. I commit to show you the love, respect and dedication you continue to demonstrate for this wonderful publication by delivering the best possible content together with this amazing group of journalists, and everyone else at Soccer Laduma. We are here because you are! This publication would be nothing without you and it is for this simple reason that everyone here understands that you – our readers – are our boss. With your unwavering support, we will continue to play a significant role in shaping South African football and bringing you closer to your favourite teams, players, technical members, legends and officials, while providing you with a platform to have your say in our Beautiful Game.
As was the case with Peter and Clint, my door will always be open to you, our readers, so please feel free to contact me at any time.
Moving on, our Olympic football teams, Banyana and Amaglug-glug, are back home with just one goal from six games! Three draws was the best Owen da Gama and Vera Pauw's teams could manage, with two of those coming from Da Gama's U23 side. On paper, this was a complete failure by our teams, in whom a lot has been invested. But in reality, and all things considered, there are a lot of positives that we can take from the experience gained at the Games. Take Pauw's team, for instance – they looked far better than they did at the 2012 Olympics, when they were the whipping-girls of the tournament. They looked better in terms of structure and the way they knocked the ball around but, just like their male counterparts, the last third is where they were mostly found wanting. A couple of elementary mistakes at the back also didn't help, but the most important thing for the South African Football Association is to ensure that we build on from this. Both teams conceded technical and tactical 'own goals' at times and this is something our national Technical Director, Neil Tovey, and his team will surely have to look at together with the respective technical teams. The balance of the two teams was also a bit questionable at times. Again, what's important is the way forward because, truth be told, we were badly exposed at times, as much as we managed to hold our own against some of the best in the world. However, holding our own against the best in the world is never going to be enough. With the core of the two teams and better technical and tactical awareness, there is certainly a glimmer of hope for the future.
On a related note, congratulations to Luvo Manyonga and Wayde van Niekerk for their wonderful performances at the Olympics, winning a silver medal in the long-jump final and gold in the men's 400m respectively. SA football, look no further than these two proud South African athletes for inspiration…
Cheers
VeeJay
