Safa suspends all football in South Africa until 4 April

The South African Football Association (Safa) has suspended all footballing activities until 4 April 2020, president Danny Jordaan confirmed on Wednesday 18 March.

Safa suspends all football until 4 April

Jordaan addressed a press conference at Safa headquarters on Wednesday afternoon. The president of the governing body said that resuming the Absa Premiership, GladAfrica Championship or MultiChoice Diski challenge would be ill-advised.

The decision could put Safa at loggerheads with PSL chiefs who will convene a meeting of their board of governors this week with the aim of announcing the path forward on 19 March.

Minister of Sport Nathi Mthethwa has supported restarting the domestic football season behind closed doors, but Safa have seemingly put paid to any suggestion that football could return before the end of the month.

“Safa has reiterated its stance that all forms of football be suspended, adding playing behind closed doors is not a solution as proven in Europe where a lot of players got infected,” Safa posted on Twitter.

“Safa, and no one else, runs football in the country in accordance with CAF and Fifa statutes.

“We are in a crisis and it is upon us as Safa to provide guidance.

“Safa’s decision is final and binding.

Jordaan said SAFA would be writing to oversight body’s CAF and FIFA to clarify the position of the state of football in South Africa during the outbreak.

“We will now write to CAF and FIFA on the position taken by SAFA to keep our people safe,” Jordaan added.

Jordaan stressed that many officials who operate under SAFA’s banner have no alternative but to use public transport to reach matches they oversee.

“We also have an obligation to safeguard the health of our referees who mostly use public transport to go and officiate games,” Jordaan added.

All football fixtures for the coming two weeks had been suspended earlier this week, making last weekend’s action in the Nedbank Cup and other events the last local football anyone will see for a while.

The football bosses will be hopeful that the Premiership, with its powerful association of clubs will accept the decision for the good of the country and football in the long term.

All international football has also been suspended, throwing into turmoil the entire FIFA calendar for 2020 and into 2021.

Euro 2020 has been postponed until 2021 but there is as yet no word on the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.