SA Football Association (Safa) chief executive Tebogo Motlanthe has assured Sunday World that Safa House is in order. This comes in the wake of Amanda Dlamini’s resignation from her job as senior manager for commercial and marketing.
There are also allegations that staff retrenchments are looming within the national association.
Other matters of concern are that the SA Under-20 did not qualify for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations after their loss to Mozambique on Friday, meaning that they will also miss the next Fifa World Cup.
Another issue that raised question marks was that the SA Under-23 coach David Notoane was not getting players from the PSL to prepare for the Olympic Games qualifiers.
Dlamini, a former Banyana Banyana captain, assumed the role in July 2021, but has now tendered her resignation just over a year in the job.
“Yes, I can confirm that Amanda has resigned,” Motlanthe told this paper.
Dlamini couldn’t be reached for a comment at the time of going to print, but reports yesterday suggested that the parting of ways may not have been amicable.
Motlanthe flatly rejected the claims. “It’s not true,” he commented. “She told me she wanted to focus on her TV work,” he said.
One of Banyana Banyana’s most capped players,Dlamini, who amassed 105 caps and scored 24 goals, is a TV football analyst with pay-per-view channel SuperSport.
Motlanthe insisted that the rumours of tensions at Safa House and alleged looming retrenchments are merely a smokescreen.
“I can tell you that there will be no retrenchments at Safa. Amanda’s case is just one of an employee who decided to resign to pursue other interests,” said Motlanthe.
“Yes, it is disappointing that the SA Under-20s lost and they did not qualify. We just have to go back to the drawing board.
“As for the Under-23’s, the PSL have written to us, and coach Notoane will get the players that he wants to use. We have sorted that out,” said Motlanthe.
SA U23 coach Notoane has now finalised his team to play Togo in the second round of Afcon U23 qualifiers this month.
It must be said that Dlamini’s resignation will no doubt leave a bitter taste in president Danny Jordaan’s mouth.
Dlamini’s appointment had been confirmed just two months after another former Banyana star, Lydia Monyepao, was given the responsibility of being chief operations officer in May 2021.
Jordaan, who is in his second spell, had at the time expressed delight in having another woman join the organisation that has had its fair share of downs over the years
By Tiyani wa ka Mabasa and Kgomotso Mokoena
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