| Mercedes-Benz SA partners with SAFA - 24/02/2009 |
Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) today handed over a fleet of 15 vehicles to SAFAto assist the organisation in delivering an exceptional 2010 World Cup event.
The 15 vehicles are part of a termed sponsorship agreement between MBSA and SAFA since 2005 when South Africa was bidding to host the 2006 World Cup. Although the SA bid was unsuccessful at the time, MBSA’s parent company Daimler continued with their long-standing commitment of sponsoring the German national team and their football association which eventually enabled them to host the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
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Full press release
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| New twist in SAFA polls - 21/02/2009 |
SAFA regions are torn right down the middle over the elections that are scheduled to take place in September. And the candidacy of SAFA vice- president Irvin Khoza and 2010 LOC CE Danny Jordaan is not the only bone of contention. City Press reports that there is now a growing feeling that the elections should be postponed and then held only after the World Cup, which is pencilled in for June and July next year. While initially there were a few names touted as likely candidates, including vice-presidents Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana, Mubarak Muhamad and national executive committee (NEC) members Kirsten Nematandani and Mandla “Mazibuko, the serious race seems to be down to between Khoza and Jordaan.
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Full City Press report
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| LOC to decide fate of 2010 politicos – 25/01/2009 |
The fate of former ministers on the 2010 World Cup Local Organising Committee will be decided at the board’s special meeting on Monday. This is according to Safa president Molefi Oliphant, who told City Press that the board would seal the future of Jabu Moleketi, Essop Pahad and Sydney Mufamadi. The three – who served in the finance, presidency and local government ministries respectively – resigned after the recall of former president Thabo Mbeki. Although the government has already replaced them with Sicelo Shiceka, Sue van der Merwe and Lesetja Kganyago, the former ministers might be retained after the Safa national executive committee invoked Article 8.3 of Section 21 of the Companies Act, which allows the board to increase the number of members.
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Full City Press report
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| Santana hit by selection problems – 22/01/2009 |
Bafana head coach Joel Santana hit his first problem in 2009 when he named a 24-man squad to play Zambia in a training match at Atteridgeville’s Super Stadium on Tuesday. According to a report on the News24 site, he named six players who are involved in PSL matches the following night and the players’ clubs have stated that as the international is a training friendly and does not fall on an official FIFA date, they will not release their players. SAFA CE Raymond Hack stressed that his body had a cordial relationship with the PSL and they would be asking them to help and postpone the matches. ’We realise that clubs are not under any obligation to release players as this game does not fall on a FIFA date. But we are looking at the bigger picture with Santana preparing for the Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup so we are hopeful of coming to an amicable solution,’ said Hack.
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Full report on the News24 site
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| Khoza Pays Tribute to Mahlalela - 09/01/2009 |
PSL chairman Irvin Khoza speaking at a memorial service for the late Reuben Mahlalela paid tribute to the former SAFA vice-president. ’He was football on his own. He lived football all of his life and that is why even now we are talking football here at his funeral. He was a man of action and that is why Mbombela Municipality has a stadium for 2010 due to his work,’ Khoza said. ’Mahlalela’s death is not only a loss to his family but also to the Mpumalanga Province and football fraternity as a whole.’
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Full Kick Off report
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| Bafana pile up friendlies ahead of 2010 - 07/01/2009 |
Bafana Bafana will be complementing their participation in the 2009 Confederations Cup with around 10 international friendlies this year, as preparations for the 2010 World Cup intensify. The Cape Times reports that SAFA chief Raymond Hack said that they had already arranged fixtures for Joel Santana’s side on every available date on the FIFA calendar. Hack would only officially confirm four friendlies already announced - against Chile in Polokwane on February 11, Norway in Rustenburg on March 28, Germany in Leverkusen on September 5 and Norway again in Oslo on October 10.
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Full Cape Times report
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| Reaping the rewards of 2010 – 17/12/2008 |
The LOC is happy that other African countries are beginning to reap the rewards of the 2010 World Cup legacy projects. ’Winning in Africa, with Africa’ is a special programme initiated by FIFA and the LOC to ensure that soccer games are played on world-class facilities in 52 countries. The programme was born soon after South Africa won the right to host the World Cup with a budget of R70m. The Sowetan reports that it was also in support of a pledge by SAFA during the bid that the event in 2010 will be an African World Cup.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| Sono is Soweto awards trump card - 16/12/2008 |
Soccer legend Jomo Sono will deliver the keynote address at the second yearly SAFA Soweto Awards ceremony at Maponya Mall on December 19. ’It will be an honour for us to have Sono after he was recently honoured by FIFA,’ said Phil Mogodi, SAFA Soweto CE. The Sowetan reports that the awards were launched by SAFA Soweto to honour the players, officials and journalists who contributed to the development of soccer in the township. ’We are also using soccer to reposition Soweto as a tourist attraction township ahead of the 2009 Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup,’ added Mogodi. ’The majority of tourists who will be coming to our country in 2009 and 2010 will come to Soweto. A visit to South Africa without coming to Soweto is incomplete.’
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| Inept association exposed – 13/12/2008 |
Ineptitude at the South African Football Association (Safa) head office has cost the country a seat on the Council of Southern African Football Associations (Cosafa) executive committee. Cosafa has provided City Press with documents proving that correspondence was sent to Safa on October 15, informing them that they needed to submit their nomination before the October 31 closing date. Safa CEO Raymond Hack, however, even after being confronted with this new information , still denied ever receiving any correspondence about the elections, which were held last Friday.
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Full City Press report
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| Soccer clinics for the youth – 11/12/2008 |
SAFA and the government have introduced a joint development programme to lure more youngsters into the beautiful game. This is one of the legacy projects for the 2010 World Cup. The Sowetan reports that the Metsimaholo soccer project, hosted by Sasolburg Juventus, will take place at Flavous Mareka Stadium. ’We expect just over 250 youngsters between the ages of 12 to 19 to participate in the soccer clinics,’ said Lebogang Neshunzhi, Juventus official. Metsimaholo said the aim of the event is to help the clubs run their affairs in a more professional way to attract potential sponsors.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| Armed robbery renews crime fears – 04/12/2008 |
Crime and security for the 2010 World Cup were under scrutiny after five robbers raided the SAFA HQ, seriously injuring a staff member. The SAFA offices are just five minutes from Soccer City’s 2010 World Cup headquarters at the OmniPark Office Complex. The Citizen reports that Wellington Ngcobo, a member of SAFA’s competitions department, was attacked and roughed up by the gang. The gang demanded Ngcobo tell them about valuables in the offices and robbed him of his personal belongings.
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Full report in The Citizen
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| New kit for Bafana - 21/11/2008 |
The King Protea appears on the right-hand side of Bafana Bafana’s jersey, but that won’t be the case for much longer. According to a report on the News24 site, South African soccer boss Raymond Hack said the Protea appears on the ’wrong side’ because they are only getting their new kit from manufacturers next year. ’The kit is produced in four-year cycles and therefore Bafana will only get their new jerseys next year,’ said Hack. ’The team will receive their new kit in March and use it in the Confederations Cup and World Cup tournaments.’
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Full report on the News24 site
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| Fan parks for 2010 - 12/11/2008 |
The Gauteng government has formed a tripartite alliance with SAFA and the SABC to set up fan parks in the province for the 2009 Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup. The Sowetan reports that this was announced by Barbara Creecy, MEC for sports, arts, culture and recreation. ’One of our current priorities is to prepare public viewing sites in each of the major townships and formalised informal settlements across the province,’ she said. Creecy said they have started identifying public viewing sites and developing a model to be rolled out in Gauteng for the two competitions.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| More millions for SAFA execs - 08/11/2008 |
SAFAhas awarded a sum of more than R6m to its members as bonuses for securing the 2010 World Cup. This additional windfall was prompted by the outcry that ensued when SAFA president Molefi Oliphant, his deputy Irvin Khoza and 2010 LOC CEO Danny Jordaan were rewarded with R7m each, a total of R21m as bonuses for their roles. In its wisdom, the organisation decided that the other members who served on the National Executive Committee (NEC) and in the SAFA regions deserved a share of the spoils.
According to information in the 2007/08 Safa Annual Report, NEC members who served between 2000 and 2004 will share an amount of R3 846 154, while the Safa regional executives will share R2.5m.
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Full City Press report
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| SAFA president pleads for peace - 07/11/2008 |
Nelson Mandela Bay Safa president Johnson Kula on Friday urged the SACP and the taxi associations planning to embark on a strike to refrain from using violence and talk instead. Speaking at the Safa NMB year-end presentation held at the City Hall, Kula said: ’I’m making a plea to the SA Communist Party and the taxi associations to resolve the issues around the table.’ He added that the 2010 stadium was a legacy for all the people in the metro. Cedric Frolick, vice-chairman of the parliamentary sports portfolio committee, congratulated the municipality for finalising the construction of the 2010 World Cup stadium.
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Full report in The Herald
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| SAFA Soweto hosts 5-a-side World Cup - 30/10/2008 |
SAFA Soweto is going global by hosting the Hyundai five-a-side World Cup finals in 2010. Confirming the tournament, SAFA Soweto CE Phil Mogodi said they were looking forward to a great competition. ’We had a meeting with the top brass at Hyundai in South Africa regarding issues relating to the development of the game in Soweto,’ he said. ’That is where I made a presentation to them to bring the tournament to Soweto, considering that Germany hosted it in 2006 prior to the FIFA World Cup. The Sowetan reports that the preliminary rounds for the five-a-side in South Africa will start in March next year with the winner qualifying to represent the country in 2010.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| Bafana slammed for poor performance - 29/10/2008 |
SAFA vice-president Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana broke ranks by openly criticising Bafana Bafana’s failure to qualify for the 2010 African Nations Cup in Angola. The Cape Times reports that up to now, that failure to make it to the finals has been dressed up as a blessing in disguise, as it will allow coach Joel Santana more time to prepare his team for the 2010 World Cup on home soil. However, Nonkonyana was remarkably frank in his assessment of the national team at the launch of the Nelson Mandela Challenge against Cameroon on November 19. ’Our dream to conquer Africa before the World Cup has not been fulfilled. We cannot afford a Bafana that behaves like the rand in the market. That is the source of amusement for cartoons,’ he stated. ’We hope that Santana and our national team have now found a winning formula so that we can take our rightful place in Africa and the world.’
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Full Cape Times report
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| SAFA salutes SA’s soccer stars - 28/10/2008 |
Petros Molemela and Leepile Taunyane are some of the gods of South African soccer expected to be honoured by SAFA on November 8. The Sowetan reports that the inaugural SAFA Awards at Sandton Convention Centre are expected to be attended by the who’s who of local soccer. SAFA’s national executive committee has appointed its life president, Lesole Gadinabokao, to co-ordinate the awards in partnership with its 52 regions. ’We have been mandated by SAFA to prepare for the awards, we are launching it this year but it will be a yearly event,’ said Gadinabokao. ’The aim is to recognise excellence in South African soccer.’ Gadinabokao said they have decided to start with six categories – regional administration, referees, coaching, national teams, competitions and presidential.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| Rumblings at 2010 LOC continue - 20/10/2008 |
All the syrupy platitudes surrounding Tim Modise’s resignation as communications director of South Africa’s 2010 World Cup’s organisation notwithstanding, the goings on of the LOC continued to precipitate grave and widespread concern this week. Modise, a man of considerable talent, but one of many hoisted by the LOC into roles for, which they were unsuited, had long threatened to resign - but was seemingly persuaded not to take the inevitable step because of the detrimental effect it could have on the World Cup. And who can take with more than a pinch of salt Modise’s declaration that he has fulfilled his task with the LOC 21 months before the hosting of the World Cup kicks off - or LOC CE Danny Jordaan’s pious acclaim of what the outgoing director of communications has achieved. According to a column on the IoL site, the scenario resembles something more akin to a chapter out of Ripley’s famed ’Believe it or Not’ than a chronicle of appropriate appointments to handle the awesome task of planning, organising and operating the 2010 World Cup.
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Full report on the IoL site
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| Improving the community ahead of 2010 - 15/10/2008 |
Bojanala Platinum District Municipality has embarked on a 2010 World Cup project to ensure that their communities also benefit from the event, according to a report in The Sowwtan. ’The main one for us is the development of soccer for both boys and girls,’ said Innocent Sirovha, the municipality’s manager for sports and culture. ’We are working closely with SAFA (Bojanala region) as the custodian of the sport in the country. As part of our soccer development project, we have introduced the 2010 Awareness Mayoral Cup, which will also help to promote the tournament.’
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| Overseas-based players could be paid to attend WC camp - 28/09/2008 |
The South African Football Association (Safa) will offer financial incentives to players contracted to overseas clubs to make themselves available for a vital Bafana Bafana camp before the 2010 Fifa World Cup. Safa chief executive Raymond Hack said the first prize would be to encourage clubs to secure the release of players without any payment. ’I will go to the highest level of the clubs with coach Joel Santana to say this is what we want, can you assist us,’ said Hack. Among SA’s top overseas- based players are Aaron Mokoena, Nasief Morris, Bryce Moon, Tshepo Masilela, Lance Davids, Elrio van Heerden, Siyabonga Nkosi, Rowen Fernandez, Steven Pienaar, MacBeth Sibaya, Benni McCarthy, Thembinkosi Fanteni, Bradley Carnell and Bevan Fransman.
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Full report in The Times
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| A chance for Bafana’s young hopefuls - 25/09/2008 |
Beleaguered Bafana Bafana head coach Joel Santana will get the opportunity to get a look at the depth of talent at his disposal when his local based squad tackle Malawi in a full international friendly at the Germiston Stadium on Tuesday night. According to a report on the News24 site, Santana named his 23-man squad for the match and it was confirmed that the players would receive caps. Originally it was announced that the game would be a training match but it was later upgraded. The squad is made up of players on the fringe of Bafana. The exercise will do as much good for Santana as the young hopefuls in his squad. Santana badly needs to get up to speed and get to know what talent is in the PSL.
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Full report on the News24 site
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| Calls to postpone elections - 20/09/2008 |
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has instructed SAFA to postpone its elections and hold them only after the 2010 World Cup. This happened at a private meeting attended by Blatter, SAFA president Molefi Oliphant, LOC chairperson Irvin Khoza and CE Danny Jordaan. ’I told them that they can’t have elections next year. I want to work with them until the World Cup is over. They must oversee this process through and then they can have the elections after the World Cup,’ Blatter told City Press. Speaking from the US where he is visiting, however, Oliphant said he had to turn down Blatter’s call. Oliphant said he was not changing his mind about running for the presidency.
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Full City Press report
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| Moves to heal the rift - 19/09/2008 |
Safa on Friday revealed details of a busy programme for Bafana Bafana leading up to the 2010 World Cup - with reciprocal games against Holland and an away fixture against Germany the high points. At a meeting, which seemed principally designed to cement a more cordial relationship with a critical media, Safa head Raymond Hack said that Bafana’s next full-scale international against Ghana next month would be played in Bloemfontein - with the venue for the Nelson Mandela Challenge against Cameroon in November also almost certain to be staged outside the Gauteng area.
Bafana will face Malawi in what was termed a "training game" at Germiston Stadium at the end of the month and play Chile in South Africa in February. The squad will also go to South America for a reciprocal game early in 2010.
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Full report on the News24 site
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| Busy programme for Bafana - 19/09/2008 |
SAFA revealed details of a busy programme for Bafana Bafana leading up to the 2010 World Cup - with reciprocal games against Holland and an away fixture against Germany the high points. At a meeting, which seemed principally designed to cement a more cordial relationship with a critical media, SAFA head Raymond Hack said that Bafana’s next full-scale international against Ghana next month would be played in Bloemfontein - with the venue for the Nelson Mandela Challenge against Cameroon in November also almost certain to be staged outside the Gauteng area. According to a report on the News24 site, Bafana will face Malawi in what was termed a ’training game’ at Germiston Stadium at the end of the month and play Chile in South Africa in February. The squad will also go to South America for a reciprocal game early in 2010.
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Full report on the News24 site
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| Last calls to fine-tune ailing Bafana - 18/09/2008 |
FIFA president Sepp Blatter warned South African football bosses to get the ailing national soccer team back into shape before SA hosts next year’s Confederations Cup. Business Day reports that speaking on the final day of his four-day visit to SA, Blatter said it was important for a beleaguered team — that failed to even qualify for the 2010 African Nations Cup — to play well enough to remain until the latter stages of the Cup and the World Cup a year later. ’It is high noon for Bafana and they have to start playing well,’ said Blatter. ’We cannot draw them against weak teams in the Confederations Cup (due to get under way from June 14 to 28 next year) or even in the World Cup. We cannot draw them against (weak) teams they would perhaps prefer to play against.’
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Full Business Day report
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| Fezile Dabi region geared for 2010 - 17/09/2008 |
SAFA’s Fezile Dabi region has established a 2010 World Cup committee to prepare for the tournament in the area. ’There are many opportunities out there, we want to ensure that the community also benefit,’ said Samuel Magagula, the regional president . ’We are working together with Fezile Dabi Municipality to use the new stadium in Tumahole as a base camp during the World Cup. Almost every company in South Africa wants to be involved in the sport and we need to take advantage of that so that all our activities are sponsored.’ The Sowetan reports that other committee members are Gift Poli, Thabo Mabasa, Langi Shabangu, Taole Simila, Ramoetsi Soke and Mmatsietsi Kgale.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| Santana safe for now - 13/09/2008 |
In just a matter of days, Bafana Bafana coach Joel Santana has managed to turn his toughest job into a more comfortable one. Failure by the Brazilian to qualify the national team for Angola 2010 simply means he will be under no pressure to produce results as he prepares a team for the World Cup. According to a SA Football Association (Safa) programme, which practically immunises Santana from criticism, the Brazilian will have to focus on nothing but the ’bigger picture’. ’It’s a blessing in disguise,’ some reasoned of the failure to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, and whatever happens on the road to the bigger stage should pale into insignificance.
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Full Sunday World report
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| Stofile cracks the whip - 13/09/2008 |
Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile will haul the SA Football Association into a meeting to explain the failure of the senior national team to qualify for the 2010 African Nations Cup in Angola. In an exclusive interview with Daily Dispatch, Stofile revealed that the national association would have to answer for the dismal performance of the senior national team. ’It goes without saying that they have to account for this malaise.’ Stofile slammed Safa for failing to implement proposals by the government to select a pool of players to prepare for 2010. He said the proposal was made in 2005 to build a strong national squad which would play together and represent the country at the 2010 World Cup games.
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Full report in the Dispatch
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| Barker calls for round table meeting - 12/09/08 |
SA’s most successful coach Clive Barker has called on the SA Football Association (Safa) to set up a round table meeting with former local born national coaches as a matter of urgency. Barker, who won the 1996 African Nations Cup on home soil, is alarmed by the way Brazilian coach Joel Santana is wrecking the national side. Said a worried Barker on Thursday: ’What Safa must do urgently is get all the local born former Bafana coaches who had success with Bafana, such as myself, Trott Moloto, Shakes Mashaba and Jomo Sono, to a meeting to try and plan a way forward. We are going backwards with Santana. He is way out of his depth.’ Santana has come in for mounting criticism from fans and the media after winning only one of the seven matches in which he has been in charge. Santana was chosen by former Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira after the Brazilian World Cup winner shocked the country by resigning in May owing to his wife’s ill health. ’Why is Santana earning R1.5 million and getting protection from Safa for failing?’
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Full report on the IoL site
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