The South African Football Association (SAFA) president Danny Jordaan has been left fuming at the Premier Soccer League for not postponing league matches later this month to allow players to rest, saying everyone will blame the association when Bafana Bafana doesn’t perform well in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Speaking to iDiski Times, Jordaan says it is why they decided Bafana to have a camp in Stellenbosch and play Lesotho behind closed doors before they head to Ivory Coast, an effort not to overload the players who he feels are overloaded by playing so many games.
SAFA has sent several request letters to PSL acting CEO Mato Madlala to postpone all matches later this month that will be played on 23 and 24 December until New Year’s Eve.
To see league matches played on Christmas Eve is the first time in the PSL, which has angered the association.
“There are no [available] facilities in [the] country,” explained Jordaan to iDiski Times when asked why Bafana are going to Stellenbosch
“TUKS in Pretoria was fully booked and the one in Potchefstroom was also.”
It was then put to Jordaan why Bafana did not go to Qatar like they did before the 2019 AFCON in Egypt, where they played a warm-up match against Ghana to acclimatise to the conditions like similar to those of Ivory Coast.
“From South Africa, there is a direct flight to Ivory Coast. There is no point in going to Qatar or Saudi Arabia. Of course, you can go there, but one thing the players don’t need is more travelling before the tournament,” he explained.
“And the PSL did not want to give the players off, the players are finished. When they can’t perform at the AFCON, [everyone will be saying] ‘it is SAFA, SAFA, SAFA, SAFA’.
“I’m tired of this campaign already. But what I’m saying to you there is the CEO of SAFA [Lydia Monyepao], phone her.”
He later continued with his point of Bafana having a camp in Stellenbosch.
“Most of the other [African] federations, the players are having a break already. Our players are going to be tired. But the one in Stellenbosch – they have masseurs, gym sessions, revitalisation programs, medical facilities, and all those things.”
Bafana coach Hugo Broos, who has also been left irked by the PSL, will whittle down his squad to 23-27 members before 4 January and then travel to Stellenbosch for the training camp that will be held until 9 January.
Bafana will play a training match against Lesotho behind closed doors at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville before departing for Côte d’Ivoire on 11 January.
The 34th edition of the biennial continental tournament will be held in Côte d’Ivoire from 13 January to Sunday 11 February.
