The SA Football Association (Safa) says it will approach both the government and the world governing body Fifa for financial assistance “during this period of serious financial challenges” as a result of the novel COVID-19 pandemic.
This comes after all sporting activities were brought to a halt by the spread of the coronavirus, leading to a widespread struggle financially by both amateur and professional sport, including football all over the world.
Safa said in a statement that the issue of financial aid to football was highlighted by Fifa president Gianni Infantino on Monday.
“Safa will approach both the government and the world governing body, Fifa for financial assistance during this period of serious financial challenges,” read the statement.
“Football is an activity business based on the health of the participants, a point Fifa president Gianni Infantino emphasised this week. If there is any threat to the health of the players, there should not be any football.”
Safa said in the interim it was calling on all of its members and supporters to “cooperate with government in assisting in the process of testing and identifying COVID-19 positive individuals”.
Meanwhile, Safa said it had taken note of the comments by Victor Montagliani, a Canadian who is president of the governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean, who has been heading a Fifa working group formulating plans to deal with the implications of football being largely shut down since last month, it said in the statement.
“There are a number of issues requiring our attention: The period of the lockdown; international flights; domestic competition and domestic flights, football fans and financial arrangement”, before the playing of football can return to normality.
