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Former Safa vice-president Chief Nonkonyana accepts Mosimane’s apology

Former SAFA Acting President Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana during the South African Football Association Technical Symposium media briefing at SAFA House, Press Conference Room on February 02, 2012 in Johannesburg.
Former SAFA Acting President Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana during the South African Football Association Technical Symposium media briefing at SAFA House, Press Conference Room on February 02, 2012 in Johannesburg.
Image: Duif du Toit / Gallo Images

Former Safa vice-president Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana has accepted Pitso Mosimane’s apology after the outspoken Mamelodi Sundowns coach claimed that he was one of the people who engineered his exit as Bafana Bafana coach.

Mosimane said Nonkonyana‚ former Safa technical committee chairman Fanyana Sibanyoni and former chief executive Robin Petersen got rid of him as Bafana coach about seven years ago.

In response to the allegations‚ Nonkonyana told Sunday World at the weekend that he was consulting his lawyers to lodge a lawsuit for “defamatory” utterances but he reversed his stance after Mosimane apologized on Sunday afternoon.

“After the apology from Pitso (Mosimane)‚ I then contacted my lawyers and advised them to hold their horses‚” Nonkonyana told SowetanLive on Monday afternoon.

“As a leader‚ I am totally aware of the high levels of stress that coaches work under. They sometimes utter things in the heat of the moment but I have accepted his apology because he has acknowledged that it was wrong of him to injure my credibility. He realised his mistake and that shows a lot of maturity on his part and I hope that one day we will be able to work together in taking South African football forward.”

Speaking after the 1-1 MTN8 draw with SuperSport United on Sunday afternoon‚ Mosimane said Nonkonyana was actually not directly involved in his sacking even though he was one of the senior people at Safa at the time.

“I want to apologise to Chief Nonkonyana‚ I was a bit emotional on that story. I think he was not directly part of it even though he was part of the hierarchy at Safa. He has done very well for football‚ he has important stakeholders around him and I understand that he doesn’t feel good about what I said. I don’t have an ego to say sorry when I have to say it. I would like to apologise to him‚ he was not part of the whole thing‚” said Mosimane.