Members of the Safa national executive committee (NEC) are up in arms, and calls for the head office to take disciplinary action against Bafana Bafana team manager Vincent Tseka are gaining momentum after the SA national team was docked three points by Fifa this week following a colossal administrative bungle.
Former technical director (TD) Walter Steenbok, before his departure, had also written e-mails and letters, warning and questioning Safa CEO Lydia Monyepao about the appointment of Tseka as a suitable candidate for the job.
Steenbok’s submissions were brought to the fore again this week after the Fifa ruling.
Several enraged NEC members this week wrote scathing letters to Monyepao. The letters, which were seen by the Sunday World, were circulating in the NEC and other Safa WhatsApp groups.
The members in those letters are demanding that the CEO institute disciplinary proceedings for what they deem an embarrassing situation after coach Hugo Broos’ team was sanctioned by Fifa.
As a result of the 3-0 win awarded to Lesotho, Bafana dropped to second position on the Group C standings after leading the group comfortably throughout the race.
Monde Montshiwa, Safa NEC member from North West was scathing in his letter addressed to the CEO. “It is embarrassing that such a renowned member association of Fifa, Safa, failed to note and record the number of yellow cards accumulated by a player.
“As a Safa NEC member, I would like to get in writing a full explanatory report of this debacle as to how did we fail to get to know and understand that we were not supposed to play Teboho Mokoena.
“I am further submitting that whoever is responsible for this mayhem must be held accountable for this loss and be dismissed if still within Safa.
“What happened, and what led to this debacle, and importantly, what consequence management shall be applied in this regard? The Safa coffers were stretched, and in financial terms, this FIFA ruling, with a monetary fine [of about R215 000]. imposed on Safa, whoever caused this mayhem caused Safa a serious financial loss, which can also be termed ‘wasteful expenditure’,” added Montshiwa.
The Frances Baard region (Northern Cape) addressed its letter straight to Safa president Danny Jordaan: “The deduction of three points and the accompanying fine – resulting from the fielding of an ineligible player – represent a serious administrative failure that has tarnished the reputation of South African football. This incident has not only jeopardized our qualification campaign but has also cast doubt on the professionalism and accountability within the team’s management structure.
“We believe that the Bafana team manager bears significant responsibility for failing to advise the head coach appropriately and for neglecting to ensure compliance with Fifa eligibility regulations. Such oversight is unacceptable at this level of competition and demands immediate and transparent disciplinary action. We therefore respectfully urge Safa to:
- Initiate a formal investigation into the conduct and responsibilities of the team manager.
- Apply appropriate disciplinary measures in line with Safa’s policies.
- Review and strengthen internal protocols to prevent similar occurrences in future fixtures,” reads part of the letter from the regional secretary Ponetshego Mondela.
Safa had been warned by Steenbok about Tseka just before he unceremoniously left the association. Steenbok was skeptical about Tseka’s ability to handle the demanding task.
