SAFA provides update on various national teams

Bafana Bafana will be back in competitive football in November and will complete their qualifiers for the Total Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021 in March next year. The AFCON qualification campaign was suspended in March this year due to the outbreak of Covid-19.

Before hosting and travelling to Sao Tome and Principe, Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki is organising two friendly matches between 5-13 October to get his charges ready for battle.

“I am trying to arrange two friendly matches in October to prepare for the two Sao Tome matches in November,” said Ntseki.

After the Sao Tome back-to-back qualifiers, Bafana Bafana will be back in competitive action between 22-30 March 2021 when they host Ghana in the penultimate qualifier before travelling to Sudan for the final encounter of the qualification matches.

Meanwhile, a SAFA Technical Committee meeting has been scheduled for all national team coaches including those for Banyana Banyana, u23, u20 and u17 with the new Technical Director to present their plans in preparations for the resumption of international matches.

Part of the international matches include the COSAFA tournament for Banyana Banyana in Port Elizabeth from 19-31 October, u20 Men’s national team in Mauritius in December and u17 women’s national team also in PE.

Other COSAFA fixtures for 2021 include u15 boys’ tournament in Lesotho in April/May, u17 men in August, u20 men in eSwatini, u20 women in Lesotho, Banyana Banyana in Zambia, Beach Soccer in Durban and Futsal in Mozambique.

The u17 Women’s team will play Morocco home and away in November for the final FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

SAFA has also written a letter to the government requesting that amateur football should start to officially play on Level 2.

“We are happy that the National Soccer League has resumed. Our compliance officers are working very well with the league and we want to thank the NSL and the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture for their full cooperation,” said SAFA CEO, Advocate Tebogo Motlanthe.

“The domestic season will be completed in time for SAFA to register the PSL clubs for participation in the CAF Champions League and Confederations Cup,” he added.

Advocate Motlanthe also touched on the Association’s finances.

“When I was appointed, I undertook in my first report to the NEC to address a number of issues. We reported a loss of R96 million in the 2019 financial year but the 2020 financial year will see a tremendously improved position. I expect to report a surplus of plus minus R60 million,” said Advocate Motlanthe.

“I will report that I have paid all competition monies, paid R195 000 each to our 52 Regions, R10 million in total. I want to thank the President for his support and his engagement with CAF and FIFA to assist in generating the additional resources for COVID-19 relief. We have ensured progress in our financial and organizational efficiency and stability.

“I wish to state that SAFA has since 1991 presented audited financial statements for each and every year of operation. The last audited financial statement was presented by then Acting CEO Gay Mokoena on 8 December 2019 and the next audited financials will be presented later this year.

“It is therefore extremely disappointing that the person or persons who presented the audited financial statements to Congress for approval and who served on SAFA for more than 10 years, recommended and received unanimous adoption of the reports, now seeks to create a negative impression of the organization,” added the SAFA CEO.

The majority of the NEC members have given clear indication to the administration that the CEO should consider both legal and disciplinary action against this unbecoming conduct.

Source: www.safa.net