I don't have full confidence in Jordaan, Safa says McKenzie

As Bafana Bafana will be attempting to get their  Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying campaign back on track when they face South Sudan in Juba this afternoon, minister of sports Gayton McKenzie  says he has no full confidence in the team and Safa president Danny Jordaan.

After drawing 2-all against Uganda at Orlando Stadium in their Group K opener of the qualifiers last Friday, Bafana hope to redeem themselves against Bright Stars at Juba Stadium on Tuesday (3pm SA time).

Despite winning the hearts of many South Africans by clinching bronze, their first podium finish since 2000, at Afcon in Ivory Coast early this year, McKenzie still doubts Bafana and Safa boss Jordaan.

"I don't have full confidence [in Bafana and Jordaan]. I have full confidence in rugby [the Springboks, who are the world champions] at the moment,'' McKenzie said yesterday at a Nedbank Cup event, where Orlando Pirates, as the competition's champions, handed over a multi-purpose sports court to Orlando's Job Rathebe Junior Secondary School.

"Full confidence can't come with talk...it comes with results. For rugby the results are there for us to see and the results are not there with the soccer.''

The minister also revealed that he has made it clear to Jordaan that Bafana must qualify for next year's Afcon and the 2026 World Cup if the association is to continue getting his support as the "ultimate accounting authority". According to, McKenzie it should be easy for SA to qualify for these major competitions.

"I told Dr Danny Jordaan and Safa that 'I give you two deliverables...I am the ultimate accounting authority when it comes to football and sports in this country'. I said to them, 'qualify for the World Cup and Africa Nations Cup'. I am giving them all the support now but I can't be giving people support until kingdom comes,'' McKenzie said.

"Those things are not even difficult...if Burkina Faso and those other countries who don't have our type of money, qualify, why can't we win Afcon and qualify for the World Cup?"

Meanwhile, Bafana coach Hugo Broos said he was anticipating "an aggressive" South Sudan side, also bemoaning playing on artificial turf in Juba. Broos highlighted their desire to win, albeit he didn't promise the victory.

"We know that South Sudan is an aggressive team, I don't mean it in a negative way. They are very dedicated. Also, we will be playing on a synthetic pitch...it's not easy, so I expect a very difficult game,'' Broos said at a presser in Juba yesterday.

"You never know if you are going to win a game or not ... whether you play Nigeria, South Sudan or whoever. You just try to win the game and that's what we will try to do.''

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