Well done, SAFA!

It is not every day that we have to shower our football mother body (South African Football Association) with praises for their handling of issues of national interest. In fact, it sometimes gets to a point where their shortcomings become more interesting than their wins.

For the first time in a while, SAFA proved that they are not a bunch of ‘yes-men’ and stood their ground, proving to everyone who cares to see or listen that there’s no leadership vacuum in their offices. This after they sent a firm letter to CAF on behalf of South African teams participating in the continental club competitions amid the frustrations that they had been experiencing from their North African counterparts. It looked like secondclass citizenship treatment from the mighty North Africans, looking down on their SADC counterparts.

It all started when Kaizer Chiefs, at the 11th hour nogal, were denied entry into Morocco for their group stages clash with Wydad Casablanca. The Naturena-based club had done all they needed to do ahead of such a visit and were ready to board their flight when they were told to unpack their bags and go back home because of COVID-19 regulations. Are you kidding me? Where were these regulations when the draw was conducted and dates confirmed? As if that was not enough, Mamelodi Sundowns were to experience the same fate as they were stopped in their tracks, 30 minutes before their departure for the O.R. Tambo International Airport, visiting Algeria for their date with CR Belouizdad, as – once again – COVID-19 restrictions in the North African country were cited as the main reason the Chloorkopbased club was told against their scheduled trip. This is both ridiculous and disrespectful! Once again, all of this at the 11th hour and you want to tell me it is just a co-incidence? This was an intentional logistical nightmare intended to sabotage the South African teams more than worrying about the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is no way that the powers that be, including the football associations, in both Morocco and Algeria were not aware of these fixtures. They also knew where they stood as far as their COVID-19 restrictions are concerned. There’s also no way CAF didn’t know what to do in an event where a host team and their country don’t provide the necessary support to their visitors. There’s also no way CAF isn’t aware of SAFA and South Africa’s ability to adhere to all the COVId-19 regulations, especially with our domestic leagues in full swing and you also consider the fact that Sao Tome and Principe were here and left the country without any COVID-19 related danger. All the local teams have already hosted their CAF interclub competitions opponents so far in the country and none of them had any bad experience. It had to take an emphatic letter from SAFA for those at CAF to intervene. However, the funny part is that SAFA simply reminded CAF of their own rules and regulations. As fate would have it, CAF had to organise an ‘emergency meeting’ between our three active participants in an effort to address this dilemma while trying to sort out any possible future hiccups. Much as I appreciate CAF’s intervention, it came a little too late and it should have been done long before SAFA’s letter. They should have awarded both Chiefs and Sundowns a walkover win because they didn’t do anything wrong and if the roles were reversed, I strongly believe that the rule book would have been thrown at our teams, but because we are dealing with North African teams here, we had to bend them rules like David Beckham.

From time immemorial, North African teams have always looked down on their SADC region counterparts and this kid-glove treatment from CAF goes a long way in giving credence to the belief that CAF is North Africa and North Africa is CAF! Even with Sundowns’ continental dominance, these North Africans still disregard them and treat everyone from the Southern part of the continent as second-class citizens. Their recent behaviour and CAF’s preferential treatment, disguised as intervention, adds fuel to my long-held suspicion that African football belongs to North Africa! If you’re not from that part of the continent, you’re a second-class citizen in their eyes and this has to stop! We can’t all be Africans when it suits the North Africans. The very same treatment they expect from the rest of the continent, they have to be willing to reciprocate.

Some of them are still struggling to come to terms with the fact that Pitso Mosimane is the head coach of Al Ahly, simply because of his background and the pigmentation of his skin. After doing so well at the club, against all odds, after taking over, he recently suffered his first loss against Bayern Munich in the FIFA Club World Cup, after more than 20 games in charge, yet there are still people who question his pedigree. This has absolutely nothing to do with the club’s ambitions or pedigree, their problem is Pitso’s identity and they just can’t stomach the fact that he’s been doing so well since taking charge. If he was from Europe, he wouldn’t be facing the critical analysis from doomsayers on a daily basis, some of whom can’t even hide their disapproval of his appointment. They’d have easily welcomed him as one of their own. This has to stop and we can’t carry on like this. I’m happy that Orlando Pirates, Sundowns, Chiefs and SAFA were united in dealing with this. The impasse couldn’t have happened at a better time for us, with our Big Three actively involved in the intercontinental competitions. These are the teams that CAF wants, these are the teams that CAF needs because they draw big crowds and help to amplify their presence in our country. South Africa has always been a country that CAF always runs to whenever they have problems and, true to our form, we always accommodate them. However, this unbecoming treatment meted out to our teams is unbecoming, shameful and should never be tolerated!