Johannesburg — South African football legend Neil Tovey believes that the head honchos of the mother body and its special member, the PSL, have made enough wealth over the years, that’s why they should let their egos go and work together to grow the game in country.
On Saturday, Safa held their 30th ordinary congress at the Sandton CC. Their agenda included the amendment of their constitution. One of the laws that was upheld was the bar of the PSL club bosses from contesting for the Safa presidency.
That feat slammed the door on the ambitions of club owners, including Chippa United's chairman Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi who had admitted that he will challenge current incumbent Danny Jordaan, who’s been in the top seat since 2013.
It was also agreed by the majority voters that the chairman of the PSL, Irvin Khoza, cannot run for the Safa top office, although he’ll be automatically inaugurated as the association’s vice president after their elective congress this year.
Over the years, it’s been common knowledge that Safa and the PSL do not see eye to eye, hence there are so many struggles in South African football. But Safa’s latest laws appear to have added more ruffle into the sour relationship.
However, Tovey who's played in the local top-flight, captained Bafana Bafana to the Afcon title in 1996 and served as the Safa’s technical director before, believes that there’d be a lot of progress in football if the two entities worked together.
“In the leagues around the world, the professional league is working in close coexistence with the mother body. That’s the most important thing. These egos and all that must all come to an end now,” Tovey told the IOL Sport desk yesterday.
“There shouldn’t be egos now. They’ve got enough wealth behind them. Let’s for once get our football right by having all these people putting on their thinking caps. At the end of the day, they don’t have to have the egos of who’s boss.”
Tovey says the leaders of the two organisations “are trying to build their own empires”. So much so that they wear the caps of their respective entities at all times, although they are supposed to be speaking with one voice in certain matters.
“I am not saying that the relationship doesn’t work but you need people that are going in the same direction. Don’t come to Safa wearing the PSL cap and also, don’t go to PSL meetings wearing the Safa cap. That's not on,” Tovey said.
However, the chairman of Swallows FC David Mogashoa says Safa were spot on for reprimanded club bosses from running for their top office. That’s why anyone who wants to run for the office should stop being a club boss from the outset.
“Obviously you can’t. Safa were right for that,” Mogashoa said. “There is a likelihood that your club matters will end up at Safa. So that you are the Safa president, whether you’ll be sitting on those matters or not, will compromise everything,”
The amended constitution has all but put Jordaan in a firm position to run for a third term. So much so that even his other competitor Ngoako Mohlabeng, the Safa president in Tshwane, will face the full might of the DC following his actions.
Prior to the start of the sitting in Sandton, Mohlabeng was chased out of the room after “he disrespected the meeting and the president” for wanting the panel to do a roll call to check the accreditation of everyone that was in the congress.
IOL Sport