CEO of Afrikaaner rights group AfriForum, Kallie Kriel said the organisation was opposed to the inclusion of players in squads based on ethnicity. He also criticised the apparent double standard in race-based team selections.
“If including players of colour for the sake of transformation and diversity is the case with rugby, then it should be the case soccer,” Kriel said.
He added transformation in sports also hindered the credibility of talented players of colour as they would be branded as “quota players” and seen as not being chosen on merit.
Kriel added a team should be selected based on talent and not race, labelling the transformation of sport a “racially driven agenda”.
“You have to choose the best players,” he said. “Selecting teams to make up racial numbers is artificial and there’s no real drive.”
Similarly, Freedom Front Plus’ general secretary Piet Uys said talent should trump race in the selection of teams.
“If you want to compete internationally you have to have the best players, you have to be colour blind.”
