×

We've got news for you.

Register on SowetanLIVE at no cost to receive newsletters, read exclusive articles & more.
Register now

Mbalula tells Safa: clean up

SPORT and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula has called on the South African Football Association to put its house in order amid allegations that Bafana Bafana friendlies ahead of the 2010 World Cup were fixed.

Speaking at a media briefing in Johannesburg yesterday, Mbalula said he was seeking an urgent meeting with Safa to discuss this thorny issue.

Asked if the allegations by Fifa into match-fixing allegations will also be on the agenda, Mbalula said: "It's one of them but there are a variety of issues to be discussed.

"We will also look at the dismal performance of Bafana Bafana in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which saw them fail to go to the tournament for the second successive time after missing out in 2010 in Angola. We are making this call (to Safa) amid cries of the nation in recent performances of our national teams, especially Bafana Bafana."

The minister said he will meet Safa with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, whom he met yesterday to discuss 2012 London Olympics preparations.

"We will also not tolerate the infighting among the leadership of Safa that at the end of the day compromises the performance of our teams and the moral fibre of our football.

"We want Safa to implement all the decisions and resolutions of their recent strategy meeting to rid the association and sport of all the ills that makes it fail to deliver as expected by the nation. We have been provided with a copy of the report of the Afcon qualification match between South Africa and Sierra Leone by the CEO of Sascoc (Tubby Reddy).

"My appeal to Sascoc is that the contents of the report must be closely scrutinised and that a report be presented to me on how this conundrum will be resolved.

"We need the report before the end of February so that we can focus strategies to turn football around in South Africa," said Mbalula.

Sascoc president Gideon Sam said they will ask Safa to submit a report on the match-fixing scandal allegations.