Ramatsiyi Moholoa
SPORTS Minister Fikile Mbalula is determined to hold the SA Football Association (Safa) to account for Bafana Bafana's shock exit from the third edition of the African Nations Championship – and he expects heads to roll.
Mbalula, who called the national team "useless" and a bunch of "losers", wants to kick-start the process of getting South African soccer back on track on the continent and globally. Mbalula is spitting fire after Bafana Bafana were bundled out of Chan with a 3-1 loss against Nigeria in their final Group A match in Cape Town on Sunday night.
"I have instructed Safa to give us a report dealing with Bafana Bafana's dismal performance. We are not happy at all that as the hosts we won't even take part in the knockout stages. Prior to the festive season holidays, Safa and the Premier Soccer League were travelling around to secure the release of certain players to feature in the tournament.
"The problem I have is our national team consistently embarrasses us.
"Bafana Bafana let us down without putting up a fight against Nigeria. We are not saying people can't lose, but it is how you lose that angered some of us.
"If people expect us to be diplomatic when the team loses in such an embarrassing way, they must forget it.
"Chan was there for us to win because we had assembled the best team of the tournament. The majority of our tried and tested players were there, unlike other countries who brought youngsters they are preparing for the future."