Safa had 'no choice but to suspend five'

THE threat of suspension by Fifa forced the South African Football Association to take action against five of its most senior officials.

Safa this week suspended president Kirsten Nematandani, acting chief executive Dennis Mumble, national teams manager Lindile "Ace" Kika, referees boss Adeel Carelse and Bafana manager Barney Kujane.

This followed a Fifa report on match fixing in four Bafana Bafana games leading up to the 2010 World Cup.

A senior Safa source said yesterday that the national football governing body had "no choice" but to suspend the five, who are on "special paid leave".

"Fifa threatened to suspend (Safa) if we did not act decisively," said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Fifa is clear and unapologetic on match fixing. We were told if Safa did not act against people mentioned in the Fifa report, that would mean we were part of it.

"Fifa is strict when it comes to match fixing. We could not risk the suspension of the country, hence we had to act against people fingered in the report compiled by Fifa."

In its statement on the suspensions, however, Safa insisted the five were not implicated in the match-fixing scandal.

Nematandani's position has been taken by Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana, who is also chairman of the local organising committee of the Africa Cup of Nations, which will be staged in South Africa next month and in February.

This appears to be in conflict with Safa's own decision that the president of Safa cannot be chairman of the committee.

A Safa executive committee meeting scheduled for today was abruptly cancelled yesterday.

The committee was expected to discuss whether to replace Nonkonyana as acting president of Safa with either Danny Jordaan or Shoes Mazibuko, who is a vice-president of the organisation.