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Why Safa president Danny Jordaan did not attend confirmation of Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki's sacking

Safa president Danny Jordaan did not attend the organisation's media briefing to announce the firing of Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki. File photo.
Safa president Danny Jordaan did not attend the organisation's media briefing to announce the firing of Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki. File photo.
Image: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images

Safa president Danny Jordaan did not attend the announcement of the firing of Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki because that was what the association’s executive had mandated, CEO Tebogo Motlanthe said in a somewhat muddled explanation.

Ntseki was released from his contract on Wednesday by the SA Football Association (Safa) after the 2-0 defeat to Sudan in Omdurman on Sunday that saw Bafana fail to reach the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Jordaan was conspicuous by his absence at the press conference at Safa House in Nasrec, with Motlanthe and technical committee head Jack Maluleka sent to make the announcement.

The pair had the appearance of having been fed to the wolves facing a media who had burning questions on how Safa intended to halt the cycle of underachievement for its men’s senior national team, rather than simply continue to hire and fire coaches.

Motlanthe was asked why Jordaan was not present.

“Of course the national executive committee [NEC] has mandated Mr Maluleka to be here. Remember it’s the NEC which takes decisions, so they’ve mandated Mr Maluleka to be here,” he said.

“So if there were any questions directed to the president, Mr Maluleka is also an NEC member — he can take those questions.”

The unfortunate Maluleka then ended up being asked questions that were clearly above his station as technical committee head, such as, should Safa not address the deeper causes for Bafana’s continued decline and failures, rather than just the symptom by continually replacing coaches?

“I’m not sure that I get the question very clearly but I will attempt to [answer it]. It’s unfortunate because the CEO said I must answer such questions, because I am not the president — I am the chair of the technical,” Maluleka said.

“I think we have a programme as the technical committee. I think the other thing we should emphasise is that maybe the plans that have been put in place specifically on the performance of all these national teams should be privy to all the media houses so we can check what is happening actually in football, especially in Safa.

“We have our Technical Master Plan document, which we must share with everyone. And I understand it’s frustrating for the coaches to be chopped and removed.

“But hence there are certain clauses and contractual obligations that are also something that should be taken care of by the NEC, not the technical committee.”

This was the fourth Nations Cup of the last seven Bafana did not qualify for.

Cameroon 2021, delayed by Covid-19, takes place in January and February next year.

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