African FAs urged to tighten administrative standards after Bafana blunder

By Mazola Molefe
17th October 2025

In the wake of Bafana Bafana’s points deduction saga, former CEO of Tanzanian giants Yanga and Simba SC, Senzo Mbatha, has called on African federations to tighten oversight when appointing administrators to key positions. 

FIFA recently sanctioned SAFA for fielding midfielder Teboho Mokoena in a World Cup qualifier against Lesotho despite him being suspended.

¨Although Bafana still secured qualification for next year’s global showpiece, Mbatha told the SA Football Journalists’ Association that the episode demands serious introspection.

"One of the biggest gripes I have about the job of an administrator is that many people think the job is easy and that anyone can do it.

"Unfortunately, those people who are in power no longer worry about the quality of administrators, and few administrators see this as a career and an opportunity to invest in themselves and their career."

READ: Mokoena admits World Cup qualification comes as a massive relief

Mbatha expressed concern that key steps are often skipped when hiring individuals entrusted with major administrative responsibilities.

Now founder of Meza Group, a consultancy guiding clubs across the continent, Mbatha stressed that football administration has evolved and Africa must adapt to keep pace.

"Without proper administration, we cannot have a proper match, so it is very important to have a sound administrative department to ensure that the players get to perform on the pitch, without worrying about anything else behind the scenes."

He added that had SAFA followed proper documentation and review protocols during the qualifiers, Mokoena’s ineligibility would have been detected in time.