The Congress of South African Trade Unions reaffirms its full support for Bafana Bafana as they build up to their greatest-ever challenge - in the 2010 World Cup - and welcomes the resignation of the national coach, Joel Santana.

COSATU hopes that a successor is appointed as quickly as possible and wishes him every success. The federation believes however that the team's problems go deeper than the individual coach, regardless of whether he is local or international. Simply to replace one coach with another will not solve the deep-seated problems facing South African soccer.

The fundamental problem is the failure to drive sports development programmes in the schools and communities. COSATU has for many years campaigned for the introduction of a comprehensive development and infrastructure programme to ensure we build a sufficient pool of players from which the national coach can choose. Regrettably the previous soccer administration simply ignored this, as they were preoccupied with cutting a percentage for themselves in the sponsorship deals they negotiated.

COSATU welcomed the change in leadership of SAFA mainly because we hoped the new leadership would support the need for development of school soccer, and other sports, in partnership with the Department of Sports as well as through their own resources to build soccer academy in every region and province.

We call on the new SAFA leadership to urgently ensure development by organising school leagues and tournaments and developing a Soccer Academy. In these programme there has to be a criteria for acceptance of potential players. Size and height do matter in soccer! If there has to be a relaxation of this basic rule it must be because the player concerned has an exceptional talent, such as Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi were to Argentina.

COSATU also demands an end to the excessive payments to soccer administrators. Money from sponsors must be used to build an academy and roll out the school development programmes.

Changing a coach must be matched by a renewed commitment and determination to win among the emerging players. We appreciate the high levels of commitment and determination we saw during the recent Confederations Cup. Quite frankly since then however, the level of commitment, determination and willingness to die on the field in defence of the country's flag and pride has not been anywhere close to ideal. We call on the players selected to change their attitude and become the pride of the nation.

We hope the future coach will not select players on the basis of their previous contribution but on the basis of their current form and contribution. One of the reasons behind the lack of commitment on the part of the players is the sense that they are guaranteed their positions in the squad.

If all these measures are taken immediately and implemented wholeheartedly, South Africa can still rise to the occasion and make Bafana Bafana a source of pride for the nation in 2010.