EDITORIAL | Chaotic state of SA football must be addressed

SA football is in shambles and the sooner authorities attend to it the better for a country which will participate in the World Cup in a few months’ time. If anyone was ever in denial, proof was there when a meeting by the Safa national executive committee descended into chaos with near fisticuffs, forcing it to be abandoned recently. This occurred when there was a disagreement on the agenda, with president Danny Jordaan’s cohorts insisting on the inclusion of the suspension of members against his camp.

The meeting came just after the embattled association had secured much-needed financial partners in Standard Bank to boost its coffers. Safa’s financial woes have been well-documented, with national teams often bearing the brunt by not getting their match bonuses and appearance fees. With Bafana Bafana returning to the World Cup in North America, match bonuses are yet to be finalised, though reports have surfaced that Safa is working on restructuring compensation for the team which will see the players getting a massive reduction in pay.

Sports minister Gayton McKenzie has promised to get to the bottom of the chaotic meeting by reporting it to CAF and Fifa even though he has been aware of the association’s escapades for some time. However, whether he will keep that promise remains to be seen especially after one Safa executive member dismissed him, insisting chaotic meetings were nothing new even in parliament. He said it was about time national teams stopped thinking that playing for the country was a get-rich-scheme and be motivated by patriotism.

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How that sentiment will be received by the teams remains to be seen but it is hoped it does not explode at the worst time, such as in the World Cup, when the eyes of the football world will be fixed on us. With presidential elections around the corner, jockeying for positions should be expected especially with the stigma blighting Jordaan owing to corruption charges still hanging over him. While the situation at national level is dire, some regions including Buffalo City have not enjoyed smooth operations either.

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