THE SA Football Association has once again put its foot in its mouth - this time on its hosting of the 29th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations 2013.
The gaffes by the soccer administrators make counting an unenjoyable amusement for those who even care to take notice.
Unfortunately, by virtue of its national role, neither Safa nor its leaders can be ignored in their failed pursuits.
This came to mind when cities which Safa had ear-marked to host the Afcon matches all said "thank you but no thanks", primarily due to the hefty hosting price tag of about R20-million per city. Safa needs R100-million to make the event a success.
Having failed to find sponsors, Safa thought the cities would be sitting ducks to be fooled into bailing it out.
But alas, it boomeranged and left egg all over the bemused faces of the officials.
The cities of Polokwane and Cape Town say they have more important and pressing priorities relating to service delivery, than even to consider hosting soccer games. And rightly so. Johannesburg did not give reasons for declining, but there are no prizes for guessing why.
By its carefree attitude, Safa almost jeopardised the chance for South Africans to enjoy hosting such an important African event. It is standard procedure and professional conduct to consult all key stakeholders before committing to a massive project such as hosting Afcon.
That Safa officials shot from the hip, presumably in a misguided illusion borne out of the success of hosting the 2010 Fifa World Cup, warrants the harshest reprimand from Sascoc and even the government.
It is especially warranted as Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula seems set to be the knight in shining armour springing to the rescue of the mother body.
Mbalula is today expected to announce the government's guarantees for the tournament, including some financial aid. (Read the storyelsewhere in the paper).
We trust that this will be a lesson for Safa never to repeat this soap opera of blunders.
But, it is always better to put measures in place to limit this type of behaviour.
Thus, the onus is on Sascoc and Mbalula to crack the whip at the appropriate time and make sure there is no repeat of this. As soon as Safaofficials manage to pull the foot out of their mouth, there must be some explaining to do.
Safa opera of blunders
THE SA Football Association has once again put its foot in its mouth - this time on its hosting of the 29th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations 2013.
The gaffes by the soccer administrators make counting an unenjoyable amusement for those who even care to take notice.
Unfortunately, by virtue of its national role, neither Safa nor its leaders can be ignored in their failed pursuits.
This came to mind when cities which Safa had ear-marked to host the Afcon matches all said "thank you but no thanks", primarily due to the hefty hosting price tag of about R20-million per city. Safa needs R100-million to make the event a success.
Having failed to find sponsors, Safa thought the cities would be sitting ducks to be fooled into bailing it out.
But alas, it boomeranged and left egg all over the bemused faces of the officials.
The cities of Polokwane and Cape Town say they have more important and pressing priorities relating to service delivery, than even to consider hosting soccer games. And rightly so. Johannesburg did not give reasons for declining, but there are no prizes for guessing why.
By its carefree attitude, Safa almost jeopardised the chance for South Africans to enjoy hosting such an important African event. It is standard procedure and professional conduct to consult all key stakeholders before committing to a massive project such as hosting Afcon.
That Safa officials shot from the hip, presumably in a misguided illusion borne out of the success of hosting the 2010 Fifa World Cup, warrants the harshest reprimand from Sascoc and even the government.
It is especially warranted as Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula seems set to be the knight in shining armour springing to the rescue of the mother body.
Mbalula is today expected to announce the government's guarantees for the tournament, including some financial aid. (Read the storyelsewhere in the paper).
We trust that this will be a lesson for Safa never to repeat this soap opera of blunders.
But, it is always better to put measures in place to limit this type of behaviour.
Thus, the onus is on Sascoc and Mbalula to crack the whip at the appropriate time and make sure there is no repeat of this. As soon as Safaofficials manage to pull the foot out of their mouth, there must be some explaining to do.
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