Minister of Sports Fikile Mbalula says the recent match fixing scandal involving South African Football Association Official’s (SAFA) top leadership has thrown a dark cloud on South African football just a month before the Africa Cup of Nations.
With only 31 days to go before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament, the country is not only worried about Bafana Bafana’s readiness for the event – SAFA needs to do some serious damage control following the match fixing scandal. According to the report from FIFA, the outcomes of four Bafana Bafana friendly internationals leading up to the 2010 World Cup were allegedly manipulated. Mbalula says: “I have been in touch with SAFA and the vice President of SAFA to get a report. Of course this throws a dark cloud over South African football ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations. But over and above that we have never been a nation that has been caught up in such allegations of match fixing and son.” Top SAFA officials allowed a private person to pay the costs for the four countries to travel to South Africa and even organised the referees to handle the matches.
“Over and above that we have never been a nation that has been caught up in such allegations of match fixing and son.”
Wilson Raj Perumal is currently serving a jail term and is wanted in several other countries. This could make it tough for SAFA to attract the sponsorship it needs for the newly established Development Agency. Brand Strategist Tumi Rabanye says: “For us to recover from a brand perspective as a country that was able to put on an epic world cup that changed the view on South Africa. This plays into the typical kind of view of developing countries where governance is an issue and accountability. So it is unfortunate and it means we have got a lot of work to do.” SAFA insists that the suspension of the five officials does not imply that they were involved in match fixing but is simply for good governance. It is still not clear who will take over as Bafana Bafana’s team manager following the suspension of Barney Kujane. The team will face Malawi in an international friendly in Durban on Saturday.
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