Safpu to protest at Fifa summit
THE SA Football Players Union (Safpu) has threatened to stage a protest during Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s visit to SA next week. The union warned that it would resort to this action in an attempt to highlight what it termed “Justice for (Clifton) Miheso”, the Kenyan footballer whose contract at Lamontville Golden Arrows was allegedly terminated at gunpoint. Safpu was told recently that there is no case with the police despite the player claiming he opened one at the Durban police station on January 14, the day he claims he was allegedly threatened by two unknown men in the presence of Arrows chief executive Gordon Masondo at the club’s offices.
The club has vehemently denied the allegations.
The union says its pleas to the football authorities have fallen on deaf ears, hence the plan to picket outside the planned Fifa Summit in Sandton, Johannesburg, which will be attended by Infantino from Tuesday to Thursday next week.
Infantino has invited some 20 African football associations’ presidents for the gathering to discuss youth and women’s football, and this is where Safpu has threatened to invade the space to make its presence felt.
“We are going to do everything in our power to speak to Infantino for him to get the message that this [the Miheso situation] is happening ,” Safpu general secretary Thulaganyo Gaoshubelwe said yesterday. “We are toying with the idea of calling a press conference to brief everybody [about] what we will be doing, but we are not ruling out that possibility [of picketing]. What we want is to get that message to him [Infantino],” he said.
“I can also confirm that we have spoken to our mother body Fifpro [International Federation of Professional Footballers], because we want some assistance and intervention, so that they are able to raise the issue.
“We are doing everything in our power, pulling all stops, to make sure that justice is served.
“You know that Safa has not done anything in terms of this matter, meaning they are not interested. It means they are not taking us seriously and we will go a step further and speak to Fifa.”
Safpu members were at the match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates at Loftus Stadium at the weekend, showing their support for Miheso through #Justice4Miheso placards, but this was overshadowed by the crowd violence that marred the match.
“You know that Safa has not done anything in this matter