Johannesburg – Safa chief executive Tebogo Motlanthe says the association’s indaba and ordinary congresses, where crucial decisions will be taken, will still go ahead as scheduled despite the PSL’s withdrawal.
Tasked with working together for the betterment of SA football, the mother body Safa, and its special members the PSL have regrettably pulled in opposite directions in recent years.
That rocky relationship seems to have gone up a notch, after the league said they’d boycott the association's scheduled three-day congresses at Emperors Palace this weekend.
In a statement issued yesterday afternoon, the PSL said they had received the agenda of the congresses and the executive committee, and have decided they’ll not go.
While Safa says it is shocked by the special members’ decision, they’ve vowed to continue with their programme, which includes strategic planning for Vision 2030.
Safa says they are not pulling the plug on their plans and agenda items as the two most important custodians in African football, Fifa and Caf, are set to attend the congresses.
“It’s not a blow. The (Safa) members are here, Fifa and Caf are here. If there are decisions that need to be taken, they’ll be taken,” Motlanthe said after a national executive committee meeting this afternoon.
“Of course, it’s a worrying factor that there was that statement issued. But one will not say it is a shock or it affects the programme of the weekend.”
It was reported this week that Safa wanted to propose that the club licensing regulations be implemented, as directed by Caf.
The regulations include the appointment of qualified coaches by the league clubs, while Safa wants elite and NFD clubs to appoint coaches with Caf A and B licenses.
Of course, both exercises would come at a great cost for the clubs. But Safa said they want to act according to the regulations of Caf – and are not prepared to stroke any egos.
Motlanthe, while stating that he did not want to make assumptions, said he didn't think that this was the reason why the PSL had decided not to attend the mother body’s event this weekend
“I don’t want to assume. It will be difficult for me to make that assumption. The letter has not spoken about any comments or anyone having said that,” Motlanthe said.
“It was very clear, (they said) ‘after having gone through the agenda’. So I think the issues are around the agenda, so to make any external factors would be unfortunate and jumping the gun.
“But we’ll write to the league and we’ll get a response (from them) saying ‘these are the issues’. I do believe that there’s always a way of finding each other.”
Despite Motlanthe’s belief in a common wavelength, however, the PSL said they’d seek an audience – with Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa, Caf president Patrice Motsepe and other relevant stakeholders – on the way forward.
Should the league succeed in going that route, they’d likely be in contravention of Safa protocols and liable for reprimand.
Motlanthe, however, is not reading too much into this for now, insisting that the PSL might be keen on contacting these offices on issues relating to the league, not the association.
“After we’ve got the reasons then we’ll be able to comment more on that. I don’t want us to muddy the waters, saying this and that can or can’t be done,” Motlanthe said.
“We have to know what the gist or contention is about. That’s why we say if you assume, you’ll end up picking things that are not even there.
“You’ll find out the issues they want to engage with the minister, and the Caf president is related to them. So, like I said, let’s get the response instead of jumping the gun.”
IOL Sport