After seven straight losses in the Varsity Football Cup, University of Fort Hare coach Charles Hanyani will be looking for a massive improvement as they shift their focus to the SAB League.
Hanyani said they were failing to address underlying issues such as recruitment of quality players into the university, and in order to move forward something had to be done.
“I think one of our biggest disadvantages is that we are offering bachelors course as compared to other tertiary institutions who with a wide range of qualifications attract more students.
“For instance, University of Pretoria, University of Western Cape and others offers diplomas and higher certificates, and that actually reduces our selection pool – in terms of the kind of talent you find in high schools,” said Hanyani.
He said the issue of funding was another contributing factor to their under-performance as UFH doesn’t have any reward schemes in place for soccer players.
“When you compare us with all other universities we are playing against, all of them have incentives for the athletes, like the sport merits awards. We are not offering anything of such nature, and therefore it’s not easy for us to attract high quality footballers to come and play for us.
“That has a huge impact because you realise that other universities are getting players who have gone through proper football development as compared to us.
“So you realise that those things contribute to the performance of the team.”
The UFH mentor said not having a proper budget for football also played role in the team’s lack of success, and that needed to be addressed.
“Other institutions have a budget of half a million or more for football, which usually accommodates the sport’s programmes and development of the sport.
“We are far away from that, and the resources become a critical issue as well.
“Because those financial resources are important if you as a club wants to develop your residential league, junior teams and so forth.”
Hanyani also admitted the level of exposure that his players had was limited, as they played in one the country’s lowest leagues.
“The league we are playing in now, which is SAB League, is not competitive at all, and when we meet the likes of Tuks it shows.
“Their players have got exposure to MultiChoice Diski Challenge. For instance I know three of their players are under Mamelodi Sundowns Academy.
“So the quality will always be the difference in varsity football, and if we would successfully gain promotion into the ABC Motsepe League this season, then we’ll know that were getting enough exposure to play against these teams.”
He said they need to have clubs in other developmental leagues, like the Local Football Association, and have age restrictions in place.
UFH will play against newcomers in the SAB League, Brothers of Peace, on Saturday at the Wolfson Stadium.
Fort Hare in battle to break free of poor run
Hanyani said they were failing to address underlying issues such as recruitment of quality players into the university, and in order to move forward something had to be done.
“I think one of our biggest disadvantages is that we are offering bachelors course as compared to other tertiary institutions who with a wide range of qualifications attract more students.
“For instance, University of Pretoria, University of Western Cape and others offers diplomas and higher certificates, and that actually reduces our selection pool – in terms of the kind of talent you find in high schools,” said Hanyani.
He said the issue of funding was another contributing factor to their under-performance as UFH doesn’t have any reward schemes in place for soccer players.
“When you compare us with all other universities we are playing against, all of them have incentives for the athletes, like the sport merits awards. We are not offering anything of such nature, and therefore it’s not easy for us to attract high quality footballers to come and play for us.
“That has a huge impact because you realise that other universities are getting players who have gone through proper football development as compared to us.
“So you realise that those things contribute to the performance of the team.”
The UFH mentor said not having a proper budget for football also played role in the team’s lack of success, and that needed to be addressed.
“Other institutions have a budget of half a million or more for football, which usually accommodates the sport’s programmes and development of the sport.
“We are far away from that, and the resources become a critical issue as well.
“Because those financial resources are important if you as a club wants to develop your residential league, junior teams and so forth.”
Hanyani also admitted the level of exposure that his players had was limited, as they played in one the country’s lowest leagues.
“The league we are playing in now, which is SAB League, is not competitive at all, and when we meet the likes of Tuks it shows.
“Their players have got exposure to MultiChoice Diski Challenge. For instance I know three of their players are under Mamelodi Sundowns Academy.
“So the quality will always be the difference in varsity football, and if we would successfully gain promotion into the ABC Motsepe League this season, then we’ll know that were getting enough exposure to play against these teams.”
He said they need to have clubs in other developmental leagues, like the Local Football Association, and have age restrictions in place.
UFH will play against newcomers in the SAB League, Brothers of Peace, on Saturday at the Wolfson Stadium.
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