Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie, believing he was acting in the best interests of South African football, wrote a letter to FIFA on Thursday. The correspondence aimed to get answers for the yellow card debacle that cost Bafana Bafana three points in World Cup qualifiers, nearly derailing their campaign.
In his letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, McKenzie writes that it’s not his department’s intention to interfere, but to get a report on how the administrative oversight happened, and the steps taken to ensure it never happens again.
McKenzie’s letter comes after SAFA president Danny Jordaan declared the matter closed.
🔴 NAZOOOOOOOOOOO000!!! 🔴
The Minister of Sports Arts and Culture @GaytonMcK has written TWO formal letters. One addressed to SAFA President Danny Jordaan and the other to FIFA President Gianni Infantino regarding the mess that was caused by SAFA!!
“Thoughts, please…!!”… pic.twitter.com/Bpwt6dXLod
— robertmarawa (@robertmarawa) October 17, 2025
In another letter addressed to Jordaan and SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao, McKenzie writes: “The fans deserve full reassurance that appropriate measures have been taken, including thorough accountability processes, consequence management for those responsible, and the implementation of robust remedial actions to prevent such a grave error from recurring in the future.”
By demanding that the matter be reopened, McKenzie is interfering with the running of football in South Africa. Government interference in the affairs of a national football association is strictly forbidden by FIFA and is viewed as a serious violation of the organisation’s statutes.
FIFA’s principle of non-interference requires member associations like SAFA to manage their affairs independently, and violations can bring serious consequences.
Just three years ago, the Zimbabwe Football Association was banned by FIFA after the country’s sports department overreached and suspended their football administration. That government interference led to Zimbabwe’s suspension from international football.
As precedent shows, world football’s governing body will reach out to McKenzie’s department and remind them to stay out of the running of football matters. Failure to do so could result in South Africa being banned from participating on the world stage. With South Africa on a high after securing their place in next year’s World Cup, such a ban would be disastrous for the game.
McKenzie is right that SAFA should do more to ensure that the blunder that nearly cost Bafana Bafana their place in the World Cup never happens again, but he shouldn’t be overreaching the way he has.
Sport
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