‘Whether we have qualified or not, something has to be done,’ Booth said.
As South Africa holds its breath over Bafana Bafana’s fate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, former national defender Matthew Booth has joined the growing calls for accountability.
Bafana blow
Bafana’s qualification hopes were dealt a massive blow after FIFA docked the team three points for fielding midfielder Teboho Mokoena against Lesotho earlier this year, despite the player being suspended. Mokoena had picked up two yellow cards in World Cup qualifying prior to the fixture, rendering him ineligible.
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The sanction has left South Africa in a precarious position ahead of their final Group C clash against Rwanda at Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday night. As things stand, Benin lead the group with 17 points, followed by Bafana Bafana on 15, while Nigeria sit third.
Bafana must beat Rwanda and rely on Nigeria to do them a favour by defeating Benin in order to directly qualify for next year’s World Cup that will be played across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Booth didn’t mince his words when speaking to Thabiso Mosia on Radio 2000, insisting that someone must take responsibility for the administrative blunder. Booth’s comments echo the frustration of many supporters who feel that off-field errors continue to undermine Bafana’s progress on the pitch.
“Once we have qualified, and I hope that we do, but whether we have qualified or not, something has to be done,” Booth said.
Booth – ‘They have to be fired’
“To be honest, we don’t know whose mandate it was to keep the records, but whoever it was, they have to be fired. There has to be a precedent set and heads must roll because we have not qualified for the World Cup since 2002.
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“For a sport of this magnitude in South Africa, and sometimes I don’t think we take football seriously enough to be honest. We have passive fans if you look at the continent, South America and in Europe. I wish we became more angry about this situation because it’s not acceptable.”
