South African Football Association (Safa) deputy president Irvin Khoza — better known to some at the Iron Duke of soccer — has resigned from all his posts at the organisation with immediate effect.
An emotional Khoza announced his decision at a press conference on Tuesday.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Khoza said: ”I am tired of being used as a scapegoat.”
Khoza said he was grateful to the 25 regions of Safa for amending its constitution to permit him — a club administrator — to serve on the Safa executive as deputy president.
He said this provided an opportunity for him ”to add value to the growth of football in our country and the world”.
However, he added: ”I am of late finding myself increasingly called to step in to defend ground already covered.”
This had led to his decision to serve ”where I can contribute to growth”.
South African soccer authorities have been criticised heavily after Bafana Bafana’s weekend loss of 4-0 to Nigeria at the African Cup of Nations in Tunisia — and Khoza has also been blamed for the chaotic events before the Cup, including the dismissal of former coach Shakes Mashaba.
He declined to provide details about specific issues that led to his decision, saying he wanted to speak to Safa president Molefi Olifant and the Safa executive before making further public announcements.
Khoza will still remain on the bid committee for the 2010 Soccer World Cup and chairperson of Orlando Pirates football club.
Khoza indicated that his involvement in the bid will not be affected.
”This does not in anyway affect my involvement with the 2010 World Cup Bid to which I have been deployed as part of my national duty. I will see this mammoth task to the end,” he said.
South African Rugby Football Union executive member Raymond Hack described Khoza’s unexpected resignation as a ”loss to South African football”.
”Only if people knew what he did for football. Look, football will suffer. The man was just unbelievable. He was a workaholic and I have known him for almost 30 years,” he said.
Before the unexpected announcement was made, CEO of Safa Albert Mokoena made it clear to journalists that ”no questions will be entertained”.