Stringent rules governing the conduct of player agents are expected to be ratified at the SA Football Association's constitutional amendment congress at Safa House on Saturday.

Safa will also hold a national executive committee (NEC) meeting on Friday.

Sowetan understands that:

l The new rules governing agents will be in line with Fifa recommendations;

l Agents will be called intermediary representatives in future;

l The stringent new regulations are to be phased in from April 1;

l The rules govern the fees charged and manner in which agents conduct their business;

l There will be strict scrutiny of agents' credentials before they can qualify to practise in SA, including such aspects as criminal records; and

l That breaking the new rules can lead to strict fines and penalties, or even bans considering the seriousness or amount of offences.

The rules come after concerns about agents influencing players and coaches in football.

In August last year, an inquiry chaired by Advocate Norman Arendse cleared Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund of wrongdoing after allegations that he had been unduly influenced by football agents.

But recommendations were made that strict guidelines be put in place governing a national team coach's relationship with agents, including that agents be banned from the Bafana camp.

The Safa technical committee will also report back on its appraisal of Bafana Bafana's performance at the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea in January and February.