De Sa finishes a short stint with Ghana at the end of July, where he was an assistant to Carlos Queiroz having worked with the Portuguese tactican several times before.
He gives a wide-ranging interview, including what his thoughts are on a next role in football.
What did you think of Bafana Bafana’s performance at the World Cup?
I was impressed and pretty satisfied with their performance. We study many of the other countries and know what we are up against.
One thing we sometimes forget about Bafana is that they are one of the few genuinely homegrown teams. There may be one or two players based abroad, and even they have only recently moved overseas, but the team was structured and developed in South Africa.
That is different from many other countries, particularly in Africa, whose players have been developed abroad. Morocco, for example, had a large number of players based in France, while even their Under-20 players who won the World Cup play overseas.
We often say Africa is catching up, but we have to be realistic about where many of these players are being developed. South Africa has got that right. We have a good league, strong club structures and the DStv Diski Challenge, and we continue to produce players.
I thought Bafana were pretty good. A lot of people said they were too defensive, but everyone wants to coach the team now. Nobody was coaching them while they were qualifying.
Let them do what they did because they did it well. Reaching the second round was a great achievement. The game against Mexico away from home was incredibly difficult, and they then managed to get the victory they needed to qualify. It was fantastic.
What role has the participation of PSL clubs in CAF Interclub competitions played in Bafana’s rise over the past few years?
It has played a massive role. When I was still playing and we first started competing in Africa, we had no clue what we were coming up against. There was not much television coverage, we did not have videos and sometimes we did not even know what the opposition’s starting line-up would be.
It is much easier to gather information these days, but the African experience players gain at club level remains incredibly important.
You could see from about four or five years ago that the national team had become more hardened to playing in Africa. The players could handle travelling, getting on the road, doing a job and catching a flight home. I am sure that came from their club experience.
It started with Orlando Pirates many years ago and then Mamelodi Sundowns, along with other clubs that have been in and out of African competitions. That experience is extremely valuable and gives players international exposure.
You can see it in Bafana now. There is a touch of arrogance, but not in a bad way. They feel comfortable and confident playing international football.
It is also good to see that we play in our own way. We are creative and try to play a passing game. It does not always work, but it is what we know, and the benefits of that African club experience are now showing.
The Betway Premiership returns this weekend. Can Orlando Pirates retain their title?
It is always difficult in the second season. I was happy to see Pirates closing the gap on Sundowns over the past few years and putting up a much better fight in the last two seasons.
What is disappointing is that nobody else is really challenging. It was ridiculous when Sundowns were wrapping up the league with 10 games remaining. At least a two-horse race is better than a one-horse race, but it would be even better to have three, four or five contenders.
That would add quality to the league, produce better players, generate more interest and attract more spectators. That can then lead to better sponsorship and, ultimately, a stronger national team.
Players develop through tough games. They need the best competing against the best regularly.
I have coached players who competed in the English Premier League, and they went to war twice a week. When they then played at international level, it felt easier for them.
It is difficult for players whose clubs have only four, five or six tough matches during a season to suddenly go to a World Cup or another major tournament and play four or five games that feel like cup finals within a short period.
Our league is already good, but a more competitive championship would be even better for player development.
South African football has lost clubs such as Bidvest Wits, Ajax Cape Town, SuperSport United and Bloemfontein Celtic in recent years. Is that a concern given the amount of talent they developed through their academies?
Absolutely. It is a massive concern. Clubs such as Ajax and SuperSport were known for developing large numbers of players, and those structures have now disappeared.
One statistic that stays in my mind is the number of former league champions that no longer exist in the same form. I remember Bush Bucks, Manning Rangers, Santos, Bidvest Wits and SuperSport United winning the league.
The only previous champions from that era who have survived at the top are Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns. It is concerning that so many clubs that won league titles in years gone by have disappeared.
The development side is also crucial. Look at how many players came through clubs such as Ajax and SuperSport.
We sometimes forget how successful South African rugby is and how they get their structures right. They are world champions, have won two successive World Cups, are ranked number one and produce players for teams around the world.
We do not copy that. We seem to believe we have found a better way through franchise football, but we continue to fall behind.
It is worrying that clubs can now play in the PSL while effectively operating out of the boot of a car, with few structures available to develop young players who are playing at social clubs around the country.
How can South African football fix the problem?
Clubs should be encouraged to produce their own players, but there must be some reward for developing talent beyond simply being able to sell players once they become professionals.
There should be an incentive, whether it is a tax rebate, a bonus or something similar. That is definitely lacking.
I have worked at clubs where 11, 12 or 13 players in the squad came through the club’s own structures. At Ajax Cape Town, we won a cup with 10 of the 11 players in the team having come through the academy, but there was never any real recognition for that.
Clubs that spend millions building teams receive all the accolades. We can all be chequebook clubs and chequebook coaches, but that is not sustainable. Eventually, the person signing the cheques stops, and the whole thing dies.
We need good development structures, and clubs must be encouraged to establish them. Whether that push comes from SAFA or the Premier Soccer League, something has to be done.
Look at rugby. The Stormers are the main team in Cape Town, but they support a number of schools that produce players. They help fund those schools and ensure that rugby remains strong in those high-quality environments.
There is a system. The players emerge not only as good athletes but also as well-educated young people.
In football, we continue to rely on the child playing in a backyard, in the street or at a local park. We are never going to catch up that way.
What is next for you after your stint with Ghana ends?
It does not necessarily have to be a PSL job. I need something that will motivate me to continue working and allow me to pass on some of the knowledge and experience I have gained over the past 40 years in football.
I would like to become involved in a genuine project that is really about the game.
Fortunately, it is not about money for me. I have been able to look after myself and have other business interests. It is about being able to pass on my knowledge, continue contributing and give something back to football.