SAFA have confirmed football fans will soon be returning to stadiums in South Africa, if they are fully vaccinated.
A delegation of the Minister of Health, Dr. Joe Phaahla, and SAFA – headed by Dr. Danny Jordaan – met on Monday, 4 October at SAFA House, where the ministry welcomed recommendations by the football mother body.
“In a meeting at SAFA House on Monday, 4 October 2021 attended by a delegation from the Ministry of Health, headed by Dr Phaahla and from the South African Football Association (SAFA) headed by President Dr Danny Jordaan, the Minister of Health said the return of fans to the stadium was a win win situation in the bigger scheme of things,” SAFA said in a statement.
Further details will be announced at a joint press conference between the Ministry of Health and SAFA on Friday, 8 October.
This is music in my ears. It is a win win situation, it will spur all and sundry, the clubs, players and the football busines,” Phaala said
“We also want other sectors of the economy to return to normalcy if the majority of the population is vaccinated – sectors such as tourism, restaurants etc. So I am here to embrace and fully support SAFA’s initiative.”
He said the pilot project of fans returning to the stadium on 12 October during the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier between Bafana Bafana and Ethiopia should herald the beginning of spectators fully returning to the stadiums.
He also reiterated the “No vaccination, No entry” to the stadium call saying all SAFA stakeholders needed to be vaccinated by 30 October 2021 in order to participate in football matters.
