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Fifa boss walks into protest storm

Gianni Infantino's first ever visit to South Africa as Fifa president was marred by a protest outside Safa House in Nasrec, Johannesburg, yesterday.

Infantino paid Safa a courtesy visit at the request of the federation's president Danny Jordaan.

The SA Football Players Union (Safpu) picketed to get Infantino's attention in their bid to get "justice" for former Golden Arrows midfielder Clifton Miheso.

Infantino is in the country to conduct a summit that aims to discuss youth and women football issues with some 20 African football associations' presidents.

The event started yesterday and will continue until tomorrow.

But Safpu had other ideas as they staged what they themed "Justice4Miheso".

Miheso, who is from Kenya, claimed recently that he was forced to terminate his Arrows contract at gunpoint. Safpu said they had tried to get the local football authorities to attend to the matter, including the Premier Soccer League and Safa, but that their pleas had fallen on deaf ears.

Despite Safpu's claims, Safa CEO Dennis Mumble told the media yesterday that the union had never written to Safa to ask that they intervene in the matter.

"It is not something that I want to comment on. I really don't know what it is that [they want], because they have not asked us to do anything," said Mumble, who witnessed about 20 protesters clad in the "JusticeForMiheso" T-shirts outside Safa House.

"Ask them to show you a copy of the letter asking the SA Football Association to intervene. They haven't done it," he said.

On a rainy day, Safpu first went to Sandton's Convention Centre where they were told Infantino would be attending the summit. But they got into their minibus and headed to Safa House on realising that Infantino was, in fact, in Nasrec.

Infantino didn't answer any questions from the media and only complimented Safa on their building structure. His visit was short and it would be fair to say he was not aware about what the protest was all about. Safpu were blocked by security from entering the building.

Safpu, though, said they were pressing ahead and mobilising support for Miheso.

"We reject Safa's claim that they didn't get our letter. We sent a letter to the chairperson of Golden Arrows [Mato Madlala] and copied Safa in the e-mail. Safa didn't show interest," said Safpu's deputy general secretary Nhlanhla Shabalala.