Mkhangelwa and Jordaan almost trade blows

Safa president attempts to block NEC member entry to meeting

- By Kgomotso Mokoena

As Bafana Bafana players were preparing for their important Fifa 2026 World Cup qualifier against Nigeria on Tuesday, the South African Football Association (Safa) president, Danny Jordaan, was involved in a scuffle and almost traded blows with national executive committee (NEC) member Simphiwe Mkhangelwa.

The incident occurred at the Protea Hotel in Bloemfontein where Safa was supposed to have held its NEC meeting. As a result of the incident, the meeting was abandoned.

Several anonymous Safa members who attended the NEC ordinary meeting before the all-important qualifier revealed to Sunday World how the sordid incident came about.

The members mentioned that on Tuesday morning, Jordaan attempted to block Mkhangelwa, the president of Safa Nelson Mandela Bay, from registering to enter the meeting, which was due to start at 10:00am.

Jordaan argued that Mkhangelwa was suspended by his region and that he was not allowed in the NEC meeting.

A skirmish ensued when Mkhangelwa allegedly pushed Jordaan aside and made his way into the meeting hall, and that is when they manhandled each other, until they were separated by other officials, including senior members Poobie Govandisamy, Natasha Tsichlas and Monde Montshiwa.