Danny Jordaan Under Fire as Critics Accuse Him of Shielding Manager Behind Visa Chaos
- Bafana Bafana's delayed departure for the FIFA World Cup has sparked fresh criticism of SAFA's leadership and administration
- Thomas Kwenaite, respected football journalist Osasu Obayiuwana and government officials have all weighed in on the controversy
- The latest visa saga has revived scrutiny of previous incidents involving team manager Vincent Tseka
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SAFA president Danny Jordaan has been accused of protecting Bafana Bafana team manager Vincent Tseka after South Africa's delayed departure to the 2026 FIFA World Cup reignited debate about accountability within the national football association.
The allegations were made by football commentator Thomas Kwenaite. They were later amplified by respected African football journalist Osasu Obayiuwana. Both men linked the latest visa controversy to previous administrative failures involving the national team's management.
The criticism followed Bafana Bafana's failure to depart for Mexico as scheduled on 31 May 2026. Visa-related problems affected members of the travelling party. The delay disrupted preparations less than two weeks before the tournament kicks off on 11 June.
SAFA later announced that the visa issues had been resolved. The association said the team would travel on 1 June. However, critics questioned how such a setback could occur days before the World Cup.
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Thomas Kwenaite links latest crisis to earlier controversies
In a Facebook post published on 31 May, Kwenaite argued that the visa delays were part of a broader pattern of alleged administrative failures.
"The travelling party was unable to depart as planned allegedly because the gaffe-prone Team Manager failed to submit the full names of travelling members to authorities for visa purposes," he wrote.
Kwenaite questioned whether adequate preparations had been made after Bafana Bafana's final squad was announced and suggested that warning signs had already emerged during previous controversies.
He also alleged that there had been failures to secure training venues for the national team on more than one occasion and described what he called a growing "catalogue of blunders". SAFA has not publicly confirmed those allegations.
The commentator further accused SAFA leadership of failing to act after the Tebogo Mokoena eligibility saga.
"Instead of treating the Mokoena incident as a serious warning sign that required accountability and corrective action, the SAFA leadership chose to downplay the matter and shielded the person responsible," he wrote.
Osasu Obayiuwana and Dominic Chimhavi add to the criticism
The criticism gained further momentum after respected African football journalist Osasu Obayiuwana shared allegations from former SAFA communications head Dominic Chimhavi.
Posting on X on 31 May, Obayiuwana said Chimhavi had blamed Tseka for the latest administrative crisis.
"The man has caused this disaster again and guess who is shielding him again and again and again," Chimhavi was quoted as saying.
He added:
"Yes, he delayed submitting certain names to the embassy. It's purely his fault. Administrative bungle."
Chimhavi also alleged that Tseka enjoyed protection from senior figures within SAFA. The association has not publicly responded to those specific allegations.
Government officials join calls for accountability
The fallout extended beyond football circles and into government. Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Peace Mabe criticised SAFA over the visa delays, saying the association had been "sleeping on the job" amid growing concern over the team's travel arrangements.
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie also expressed frustration, saying South Africa was "being made to look like fools" by the situation.
McKenzie called for accountability and later confirmed that all players had received the necessary travel clearance.
The latest controversy has also revived memories of the Tebogo Mokoena eligibility saga, which resulted in FIFA stripping South Africa of three points during the World Cup qualifiers after Mokoena played against Lesotho despite having accumulated enough yellow cards to trigger a suspension.
At the time, when asked whether action would be taken against those responsible, Jordaan said:
"The matter is closed. We are not interested in the matter. We are focused on the upcoming AFCON and the World Cup."
Source: UGC
SAFA apologises after emergency meeting
On 1 June 2026, SAFA announced that visas had been secured for all players and confirmed that Bafana Bafana would depart for Mexico.
The association said an emergency committee meeting had been held on the evening of 31 May to address the situation.
SAFA apologised to South Africans for the delays and thanked the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and the US Consulate in Johannesburg for helping resolve the matter.
The association also announced the formation of a three-member organising committee comprising David Molwantwa, Mxolisi Sibam and Vincent Tseka to oversee administrative matters during the World Cup.
Although the immediate travel crisis has been resolved, the incident has intensified scrutiny of SAFA's administration, with critics arguing that the latest setback has reopened questions about accountability and whether lessons have been learned from previous controversies.
Danny Jordaan recently faced internal SAFA revolt
Briefly News previously reported that SAFA expelled four NEC members who had reportedly been part of efforts to remove Danny Jordaan from office during a turbulent period for the association.
The expulsions followed a tense leadership dispute and were approved during SAFA's 34th Ordinary Congress.
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Source: Briefly News
