‘I don’t have full confidence’ in Bafana and Jordaan: McKenzie sends warning to Safa boss

Sports minister Gayton McKenzie says he does not have confidence in Bafana Bafana under the stewardship of the South African Football Association and its president, Danny Jordaan, to excel.

McKenzie revealed he has given a directive that Bafana need to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup.

The national team are meeting South Sudan in a 2025 Nations Cup qualifier in Juba on Tuesday hoping to gain three points and bounce back in Group K from Friday’s opening home 2-2 draw against Uganda at Orlando Stadium.

“I don’t have full confidence. I’ve got full confidence in the rugby at the moment,” McKenzie, speaking at a handover by Nedbank of a multipurpose sports court at Job Rathebe Junior Secondary School in Orlando East this week, said.

“Because full confidence doesn’t come with talk, it comes with results. I’ve got full confidence in the rugby because the results are there to see. The results are not there with the soccer, the results are not there with the hockey.

“And I’m not a man who gets overpowered and impressed with words. I like action. I told the man you are talking about, Dr Danny Jordaan, and I told Safa, ‘Give me two deliverables’. I’m the ultimate accounting authority when it comes to football and sport in this country.

“I said to them: ‘Qualify for the World Cup, qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations.’ I’m giving them all the support now, but I can’t be giving people support until kingdom come, who are not performing.

“[For] a country like ours, qualifying for the World Cup, qualifying for Nations Cup, those things are not even difficult. Burkina Faso and those countries, who don’t have our type of money in sport [do qualify].

“Do you know we are the most-funded league on the African continent, the PSL [Premier Soccer League]? How come we can’t win the Nations Cup? How come we can’t be accepted in the World Cup?

“We mustn’t accept mediocrity. I’m going to make sure — I’m public about it, they know it. For now they have my support, but soon if they don’t qualify, we must get people who can qualify. This is a national asset we’re talking about, this is not ‘Jy’s my bra’ [you are my friend] or ‘I know you’. No, no, no.”

Other than as hosts in 2010, Bafana last qualified for a World Cup in 2002 in South Korea and Japan.

South Africa had their best Nations Cup in 24 years, wining the bronze medal in Ivory Coast this year.

• The Nedbank sports court handover was in partnership with Orlando Pirates and The Sports Trust.