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IOL News
an hour ago
- Sport
- IOL News
SAFA sets sights on BT Academy over trip to Spain
Cape Town group representing South Africa at the Donosti Cup in Spain. Image: Supplied THE South African Football Association (SAFA) has distanced itself from sanctioning BT Football Academy's trip to Spain where more than 30 children were left stranded after not having return tickets. 'We wish to place on record that this tour was not sanctioned by SAFA Cape Town or the South African Football Association (SAFA) at national level. Ordinarily, applications like this would come from Cape Town to National and no such application was forwarded to National,' Safa Cape Town told the SABC. The association has also confirmed that an investigation into the matter was underway. 'BT Academy used to belong to the Two Oceans Local Football Association as a member of SAFA Cape Town; they subsequently resigned to go to Cape Winelands. I spoke to the president of SAFA Cape Winelands earlier today to enquire and also to do some homework because if you don't belong on this side, you may belong somewhere,' the SABC quoted SAFA Cape Town president Bennet Bailey as saying. The group of 13 to 19-year-olds and their coaches had participated in the Donosti Cup 2025 in Spain where they did well and had a positive experience until the date they were set to depart on July 16. The group did not return and the following day their parents learned they needed to pay an extra R15 000 to secure return flights home. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ While some of the players have returned home, some 28 are staying in Lisbon, Portugal, expected to return by Thursday. They had paid a total fee of R50 000 that was supposed to be all inclusive of food, transport, accommodation and flights. After parents reached out for help, South Africans came on board including the Tracey Lange Cares (TLC) initiative and Shantelle Engelbrecht from the Facebook page Coloured Girls Rock, to facilitate the return of the group. Senior pastors Dane and Tersia Mesane from Christ Culture Church said they made the final payment to Lange and her team for all 28 flight tickets at 2.55pm, with full confirmation received from the travel agent by 6.28pm. Some of the group were expected to return on two flights landing on Wednesday and one on Thursday. A Kraaifontein father of a 13-year-old said: 'I am very much excited, just wanting him to get home, wanting the rest of the kids to get home safe and sound. Everybody had to stand together and we had to agree on one common goal which was getting the kids home but I was shocked how quick everything happened, everything blew up yesterday (Monday) but us as parents we've been dealing with the chairman of the club since last week Thursday when he initially asked us for the additional funds.' BT Academy cited delayed visa appointments as the reason it failed to book return flights in time, leading to unaffordable prices and leaving the group of 38 stranded. Weighing in on the matter, a travel agent, who asked to remain anonymous, said the biggest question was how the children were able to board their flights and enter Spain without producing return tickets. 'While a visa application doesn't require an actual purchased ticket, some embassies are strict. They'll call the airline or hotel to confirm bookings. In this case, they could have gotten dummy itineraries just for the visa application. But the biggest question is, how did the airline check them in on a one-way ticket? Even when flying from South Africa to Kenya, travellers are often denied boarding without a return ticket. European countries are especially strict. And once they got to Spain, how did immigration allow them through? Maybe return tickets were booked, which got through airport checks, then cancelled later," the travel agent said. BT Football Academy did not respond to further requests for comment. The Consulate General of Spain in Cape Town also did not respond to requests for comment by deadline. Cape Times
The South African
5 days ago
- Politics
- The South African
'We ask Treasury to shift money to SAFA for VAR'
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has requested the National Treasury to allocate funds to the South African Football Association for the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. For over a year, McKenzie has been promising to introduce VAR to help minimise mistakes in South African top-flight football. Last year, he announced that R80 million had been set aside for the project. However, in his latest update, McKenzie revealed that no money has been reserved for VAR. 'We are also finalising the process of funding VAR to ensure that football matches, from the Premier Soccer League through to the international fixtures we host, are fairer and meet global standards,' McKenzie told the parliament this week. 'It is a necessity. We see stadiums vandalised when bad refereeing happens, and the success of teams like Mamelodi Sundowns makes global teams want to play here. 'But they get second thoughts because we don't have VAR,' he concluded. Earlier this year, Gayton promised football fans that VAR would be implemented in April, with a budget of R80 million set to be allocated. 'We could never pay for VAR without budget having been passed, that would have been corruption. We are in the process of asking Treasury to shift money to SAFA according to our budget. VAR is coming. The money is available,' McKenzie wrote on on X (Twitter) on Friday. Football fans were not happy with Gayton's latest statement, feeling that the minister had misled the nation when he 'promised VAR in April'. 'Different tune every week. Just simple tell us if PSL will have VAR this season or not? Why Bafana Bafana national sponsor Castle and HONOR come on board to sponsor VAR like what FNB do to rugby, they are behind TMO,' tweeted @mminakgomotrevo. 'Instead of taking responsibility, you're shifting the blame. It's a good thing that the budget wasn't approved. YOU said we would have VAR this season and didn't mention this budget part,' tweeted @baahlemsweli. 'VAR we won't use it this season, bafo, Gayton lied to us,' @peterbroggs tweeted. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
15-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Local businessmen invest R100,000 in youth football development in Chatsworth
Businessmen Jeremy Deokynarain and Collin Naidoo who are with Safa Chatsworth's president, Nelson 'Spinx' Kuppen, are excited about the Pelican Pharmacy Youth Festival that is scheduled for this weekend. Image: Doctor Ngcobo TWO businessmen with 'deep roots' in Chatsworth have teamed up with the hope to rekindle the zest for sport among the youth in the south Durban community, by contributing over R100 000 towards a football development initiative. Collin Naidoo and Jeremy Deokynarain are responsible for the gesture that will enable the Chatsworth Football Association, an affiliate of the South African Football Association, to stage a football tournament, with many benefits for the players and the teams, the Pelican Pharmacy Youth Festival this weekend. The competition that will begin on Saturday at various venues around Chatsworth, will see the association's youth structure, which includes over 100 teams, in both boys and girls divisions, pitting their skills against each other. The event's climax will be on Sunday with all the semi-finals and finals set for the Road 1016 sports field in Woodhurst. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ For the sponsors, making the competition a reality is 'close to their hearts'. 'This is for the community of Chatsworth. This is where we come from, and our opportunity to give back,' said Naidoo, who played football professionally for Berea FC in the 1980s. Berea was an affiliate of the old Federation Professional League. 'I was fortunate enough in my playing days to have reached the heights that I did, now we hope that other children from this community can do likewise.' Naidoo said businesses had a social responsibility to give back to communities as the government cannot be relied on to do it all. 'My business (Toyco Engineering) is not based in Chatsworth, but I have a deep spiritual and emotional connection to the area,' he said. Having endured the difficult years of growing up in the apartheid era, Naidoo was grateful to the administrators and football people of previous generations, who created opportunities for him and others to indulge in the sport. 'Football has had a big impact on me, and the confidence I've drawn from it has helped me through life.' Naidoo encouraged parents to develop the culture of being fully supportive of their children and make their presence felt at all matches. 'Parental support is of paramount importance. Not all children excel academically, some do well at sport, and sport helps with their holistic development, he said. Deokynarain, a pharmacist and owner of Pelican Pharmacy, based in Bayview, is also a committed 'Chatsworth boy'. 'I grew up in this community and during my school days, I worked in the pharmacy that I have since owned for 20 years. 'I know this community well, it has a low LSM (Living Standards Measure).' Deokynarain said that some of the current generation of children had an 'entitled mindset' and were receiving little direction on how to do life and, as a result, were 'going astray'. He also emphasised the importance of sport for the all-round development of children, instead of allowing them to be 'a lost generation' 'So it's our purpose to remind them that there is more to life than the negativity surrounding us. 'Collin (Naidoo) is the major sponsor of the event, from our side we decided to also make a meaningful contribution. 'God has blessed us with the opportunity to have, so I think it is time to give. 'It gives me great joy to see the kids enjoying the fruit of our labour. Hopefully we can inspire them to also be achievers in life.' Deokynarain said Chatsworth always produced outstanding achievers in all walks of life and they looked forward to contributing to that dynamic. Safa Chatsworth's president, Nelson 'Spinx' Kuppen, said there was huge anticipation in their circles ahead of this weekend's competition. Kuppen said: 'We are all excited. This competition will give our youth a pleasant distraction away from the negative vices embedded in our community. 'We are grateful to Collin (Naidoo) and Jeremy (Deokynarain) for their generosity. It's great to see a former professional footballer (Naidoo) contribute in this way because he has a good understanding of what it means to have the opportunity to play football.' DAILY NEWS
The Citizen
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Mpumalanga mourns the loss of soccer legend and former politician
The province is in mourning following the death of renowned soccer administrator and former politician Veli Mahlangu on Thursday, July 3. Mahlangu passed away at the age of 72. He was influential in both football and politics. As the owner of Witbank Black Aces, a team that played in the country's premier league, he produced talented footballers such as Junior Ngobe. Mahlangu's influence extended beyond football. He served as a member of the South African Football Association (Safa) and played a crucial role in the country's 2010 Soccer World Cup bid as part of the FIFA World Cup organising committee. ALSO READ: State funeral for the former deputy president, David Mabuza, to take place in Mpumalanga In politics, Mahlangu once held the portfolio of minister of finance and economic affairs during the transition from the KwaNdebele government to the democratically elected provincial council. After 1994, he was elected to the provincial legislature and served as chairperson of the portfolio committee for economic development and finance. Mpumalanga premier Mandla Ndlovu visited the Mahlangu family to convey his condolences on Monday, July 7. Ndlovu described him as a patriotic citizen whose active participation in the country's development had left a lasting legacy. He urged communities in the province to emulate Mahlangu's example, highlighting his dedication to the province and its people. ALSO READ: Missing Bushbuckridge woman found dead 'Mahlangu is among the two leading figures who passed away last week. The death of the former deputy president of the Republic of South Africa, David Mabuza, was confirmed by the president, Cyril Ramaphosa. Mabuza also served as the fourth premier of the province, and in many other positions which he occupied previously,' said Ndlovu. 'Mahlangu's legacy is woven into the fabric of our province's sporting and political history. We mourn his loss, but we also honour the remarkable life that he lived,' Ndlovu said. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The South African
02-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
SAFA makes tough decision on ABC Motsepe League playoffs
The South African Football Association (SAFA) has made a tough decision on the ABC Motsepe League playoffs. The national playoffs kicked off on Tuesday, 1 July at Giant Stadium in Soshanguve. And they started with only seven registered teams as both the Eastern Cape and Limpopo don't have representatives. This is due to the ongoing disputes to determine legitimate winners from those two provinces. Now, the SAFA Competitions Committee met on Tuesday night to find a solution to the matter. And after deliberating on the matter, the Competitions Committee resolved to exclude teams from the Eastern Cape and Limpopo. In a statement released after the meeting, SAFA said these disputes would not have needed before the conclusion of the national playoffs. And to protect the integrity of the Association and that of sponsors, they decided to proceed with only seven teams. THREE teams, and NOT two, are set to be promoted to the Motsepe Foundation Championship for next season. This is to ensure that there are 16 teams in the Motsepe Foundation Championship after Royal AM were expelled from the PSL. SAFA statement on ABC Motsepe League national playoffs. Image: SAFA Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
