3 years ago
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Having played during a time where SA was exporting players to big European leagues for fun, retired Bafana Bafana centre-back Nasief Morris feels the current generation lacks ambition, hence the country now struggles to send players to big leagues abroad.
Morris, who's now serving as Shaun Bartlett's assistant at Cape Town Spurs in the second tier of SA football, played for a number of clubs in Greece like giants Panathinaikos. The now 41-year-old also represented Racing Santander in Spanish La Liga.
"The mentality of the players [isn't good]. Currently, everybody is comfortable in South Africa. Players nowadays don't want to set their goals higher,'' Morris said on the sidelines of the Nedbank Cup last 32 draw, where his Spurs were drawn against fellow Motsepe Foundation side Baroka in Sandton on Thursday night.
"I mean, if I look back at our generation, we used to aim for big things and we didn't want to play in SA...we wanted to play in Europe against the best in the world. Those were dreams we put for ourselves and we achieved those dreams. Nowadays there's too much comfortability."
The erstwhile Bafana star also accused today's crop of players of not wanting to test themselves against the crema de la crème of world football, making reference to how he started out in Greece before moving to Spain.
"They [today's generation] don't want to challenge themselves and don't want to put themselves in a shopping window,, whether it's a simple small country in Europe, where you put yourself in the window and you can be exposed and get a chance to a bigger club. Like, I mean, I played in Greece for a small team and I got snatched by one of the big teams in Greece and I ended up in La Liga [in Spain] after that, so it's all about what you want and do for yourself at the end of the day,'' Morris explained.
"You are earning a couple of hundred thousand [of rand] and you just think you don't need to go for more. Sometimes the amount of salary you can get here is the same as what you can get in small European leagues but it's about challenging yourself to be seen by the rest of Europe."
“For me it is the mentality of the players. Everyone is comfortable in South Africa and they don’t want to take their goals higher,” he said during the launch of the 2023 Nedbank Cup last 32 where Cape Town Spurs were drawn with Baroka.
He is assistant coach at Spurs.
“If I look back at our generation, we used to aim high because we didn’t want to stay in South Africa, we wanted go to Europe. We wanted to play against the best in the world. Those were the targets that we put for ourselves and we achieved those dreams.”
Morris joined unfancied Aris Saloniki before he was snapped up by giants Panathinaikos. He said South African players must consider moving to smaller European clubs to put themselves tin he shop window.
“I think with today’s generation, there is too much comfort. They are comfortable here at home and they don’t want to challenge themselves. They don’t want to put themselves in the shopping window in a small country in Europe.
“By doing so, you put yourself out there and there are possibilities to be snatched by bigger clubs. In my case, I went to Greece to play for a small team and I was later snapped by one of the big teams there and ended up in La Liga after that.
“It’s about what you want and you must do it for yourself at the end of the day.
"Sometimes I understand you can earn the same amount of money here in South Africa, but by going overseas you are challenging yourself and you are putting yourself in the European window and you can achieve a lot more.
“The plan should always be to aim higher than you think you can because anything is possible at the end of the day. I will never say we don’t have the talent and the quality. I believe we always have always produced quality players, but lack of exposure to Europe is how you grow as a player.
“In South Africa, with the quality of coaches we have, we should be able to make a difference in these players as well but at the end of the day is up to the player and what he wants in his career.”
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