17 November 2020 – SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan has lauded a highly successful week for the Association in general.
The week started with a 2-0 win for Bafana Bafana against Sao Tome at Moses Mabhida Stadium in a match in which a spirited second-half performance saw the home team overcome the islanders. The South Africa Senior Men’s National team goals were scored by Percy Tau and Bongani Zungu after the visitors had frustrated the home side in the opening period.
It was then the turn of Banyana Banyana who retained their COSAFA Cup title for the fourth year running despite coming into the tournament with a wholly local-based squad comprising a lot of u20 players and those playing in the National League.
Banyana Banyana beat Botswana 2-1 having beaten Angola 2-0, eSwatini 5-0 and Comoros 7-0 in Group stages in which they did not concede a goal. They then beat Malawi 6-2 in the semis before dispatching Botswana in the final and in scintillating fashion.
At the Vaal University of Technology in Gauteng, SAFA President, Dr Danny Jordaan and CAF presidential candidate, Dr Patrice Motsepe watched Bizana Pondo Chiefs and Pretoria Callies gain promotion into the National First Division during the ABC Motsepe national plays offs in a season blighted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Back in the Nelson Mandela Bay, Bafana Bafana battled hard as they finally subdued a fighting Sao Tome 4-2 in the return game of the Cameroon AFCON qualifier. Bafana Bafana scored their goals through a double each from outstanding Themba Zwane and mercurial Percy Tau with their winning two goals coming in the last three minutes of regulation 90 minutes.
‘’We now focus our attention to the u17 and u20s as they compete in the COSAFA Cup tournament while the u23 continue their preparations in Saudi Arabia. But as far as this past week is concerned, I would like to thank all those involved in making sure that our teams did well and that those assigned to make sure things went well, applied themselves professionally,’’ said SAFA President.
Meanwhile, SAFA CEO Tebogo Motlanthe has condemned some irresponsible reportage by some mischievous individuals who falsely claimed the winning Banyana Banyana would not be paid for winning the COSAFA Cup.
‘’We have contractual obligations and have standing arrangements with Banyana Banyana in all of the tournaments they play and they will be paid accordingly as usual,” said Motlanthe.
For further information please contact:
SAFA: Head of Communications
Dominic Chimhavi
Email: dominic.chimhavi@safa.net
Mobile: +27 71 332 9886