The South African Football Association (Safa) will not shoulder the blame for Bafana Bafana’s dismal first-round exit from the African Nations Cup currently under way in Egypt.
This was the message delivered by Safa vice-president and head of delegation Mubarak Mahomed during the presentation of his report to the media on Wednesday.
”Our mandate was to win the tournament. From Safa we did everything possible to ensure we would win. Our performance on the field was disappointing,” Mahomed said.
Mahomed’s outburst came on the back of Bafana’s worst showing at the Nations Cup where they lost all three of their group-C matches, failing to score a goal while conceding five.
At the heart of the emotionally charged report was the players’ greed for more financial remuneration and an insinuation about the lack of patriotism, which South African president Thabo Mbeki touched on in his own criticism of the team last week.
”Distractions will always affect the mission. Our task [to win] was almost impossible when we had the problem of money, money and money. We had complied with the best of financial facilities and the conditions to perform.
”I was in no position to guarantee players that their financial request would be met unless I wanted to resign from Safa. I cannot put myself in a position to give away those huge volumes of money from the organisation,” said Mahomed.
Mahomed was speaking after players allegedly refused to play against Tunisia if their financial requests were not guaranteed by Safa.
However, Mahomed was able to quash the simmering revolt by guaranteeing players that their grievances would be addressed by Safa upon their return to South Africa.
Mahomed also mentioned that Bafana players were being paid more than their Tunisian and Zambian counterparts, and that Collins Mbesuma, the former Kaizer Chiefs striker now playing for Portsmouth in the English Premiership, was supplying his teammates with $10 spending money a day while the South Africans received $100 a day from Safa.
”We provided sufficient financial incentives to the players,” Mahomed said.
However, acting Safa president Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana was quick to extinguish the fire by saying that Safa is not yet in a position to blame anyone.
”We want to say to the people that we are sorry for everything.
”We still love Bafana Bafana and we know they tried their best. Participation at the tournament has taught them lessons, as hard as that may have been,” Nonkonyana said. — Sapa