National Betrayal”: Players’ Union Savages SAFA Over Bafana Points Deduction

The South African Football Players’ Union (SAFPU) has launched a fierce
and direct condemnation of the South African Football Association (SAFA),
placing the blame for Bafana Bafana’s devastating points deduction squarely
on what it describes as “gross administrative negligence” by the national
body.

In a media release that pulled no punches, titled “HANDS OFF MOKOENA –
SAFA’S NEGLIGENCE IS A NATIONAL BETRAYAL”, the union mounted a robust
defense of midfielder Teboho Mokoena. SAFPU asserted that the player has
been wrongfully scapegoated for a suspension mix-up that was, in reality, a
profound “procedural failure” within SAFA’s administration. The union
insists this bureaucratic error was entirely preventable and should never
have escalated to the point of attracting FIFA’s disciplinary action.

“Teboho Mokoena is not the villain here. He is the victim of a system that
failed to protect its own,” the union’s statement declared, framing the
player as a casualty of institutional incompetence rather than a
perpetrator.

The controversy, which has seen South Africa lose three vital points in
their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, is portrayed by SAFPU as a symptom
of a much deeper malaise. The union contends that the FIFA sanction exposes
critical governance failures within SAFA and is demanding immediate
accountability and full transparency regarding the sequence of events that
led to the costly error.

Taking its criticism a step further, SAFPU directly challenged SAFA’s
National Executive Committee (NEC), urging its members to finally exercise
the integrity and responsibility their roles demand. In framing the stakes,
the union elevated the issue beyond the pitch, stating, “This is not just
about football, it’s about national pride, player rights, and the
credibility of our institutions,” thereby positioning the blunder as a
matter of national significance that undermines the very foundations of
South African football.

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