Gayton McKenzie Faces Backlash After Singling Out Kaylin Swart Following Banyana Banyana Win
- Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie praised goalkeeper Kaylin Swart after Banyana Banyana defeated Nigeria 2-1 in a 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup play-off
- McKenzie's post, which singled out Swart without mentioning the rest of the team, drew fierce backlash from South Africans online
- Critics accused the minister of using Swart's praise to appeal to coloured voters rather than recognising the full team's effort
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Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie faced a wave of public criticism after praising goalkeeper Kaylin Swart on social media following Banyana Banyana's 2-1 victory over Nigeria in a 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup play-off match at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca on Thursday, 13 August 2026.
Source: Getty Images
McKenzie posted on X at 11:59 PM, writing:
"Thank you, Kaylin Swart 👏👏👏👏👏👏" accompanied by an image of Swart's name and the number 1, referencing her goalkeeper jersey. The post, which made no mention of the broader squad, drew sharp responses from South Africans who felt the minister had deliberately excluded the rest of the team.
Sports broadcaster Robert Marawa also reacted to the result, describing it as "a lifesaver" for Banyana Banyana and singling out Swart for her performance between the posts.
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McKenzie's post sparks race row
Several users accused McKenzie of using the praise as a political tactic, alleging the post was designed to court coloured voters rather than genuinely celebrate the team's achievement.
@Patriotic_Tee wrote:
"Kodwa you are such a horrible minister yaz! No shame at all! This was deliberate because she's coloured akere! This was a TEAM effort. You keep showing us your true colours every day 🗑️"
@Athi_Mat said:
"I can't believe I voted for you, Gayton! This woman drank us last week and is the reason why we are going through this. You're using her to farm coloured votes."
@SolMaque added:
"Coloured vote mining? Shameful. Post the whole team!"
Not all reactions were critical. @IamBanguMhlaba offered a different view, writing:
"Outstanding performance by Kaylin Swart 🇿🇦🇿🇦"
Banyana keep World Cup hopes alive
The win over Nigeria was a critical result for Banyana Banyana, keeping South Africa's qualification prospects for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup alive. The play-off match in Casablanca marked a high-stakes moment for the national women's side, with Swart's performance in goal drawing widespread attention from fans and commentators alike.
McKenzie had not responded publicly to the backlash at the time of publication.
SAFA ordered to pay over R500,000
Briefly News also reported that the South African Football Association (SAFA) was ordered to pay more than R500,000 after losing a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) appeal over Banyana Banyana's 2024 international friendlies.
The ruling found that Zimbabwean FIFA match agent Ellen Chiwenga was entitled to payment for arranging the fixtures.
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Source: Briefly News
