Mzansi furious and up in arms as SABC cuts live AFCONQ broadcasting

- Soccer fans were left in the dark after SABC were unable to broadcast the clash between Bafana Bafana and Sao Tome and Principe

- The national broadcaster was unable to negotiate an agreement they could afford, the SABC is in dire financial straits

- Luckily for the national team they won their make or break match but fans had to either watch a replay or follow the game via updates

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Soccer fans have been left out in the cold by SABC after the broadcaster confirmed that the much-anticipated clash between Bafana Bafana and Sao Tome and Principe would no be broadcast.

They were due to face the team in the fourth AFCON Qualifier today but fans were unable to watch the match played at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in Port Elizabeth.

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SABC is out of pocket and cannot afford to broadcast the game under the previous agreement with CAF and have been unsuccessful in negotiating a contract they can afford.

Fans had to accept that fact that the national broadcaster had failed them.

“Caf wanted to fleece us for a huge amount of money we can’t afford to spend,” SABC Sport Director Gary Rathbone told Citizen.

“We are busy with a Section 189 process. The game was originally offered through Safa as host broadcasters, but then CAF stepped in and said ‘you can’t do that because the rights belong to CAF, and here is a huge fee you need to pay to get the game.’ Every time they (CAF) whack us and money pours out, this time we had to say ‘sorry, the money is no longer pouring out’.

“It was a ridiculous figure, considering the game is happening here and we were prepared to be the host broadcaster. Right now we have jobs at risk at the SABC and we can’t afford to be handing out huge amounts of money for a single match.”

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Fortunately, Bafana Bafana won their game and kept their AFCON dreams alive, winning 4-2.

Earlier, Briefly.co.za reported that Banyana Banyana have bagged their seventh Cosafa Women's Championship title, their fourth consecutive title. The ladies in green and gold managed to defeat Botswana 2-1 in the Cosafa Championship final over the weekend.

19-year-old Sibulele Holweni took home the Cosafa Golden Boot Award while Hilda Magaia, who scored an amazing hat-trick in the semi-final against Malawi, was named Player of the Tournament.

Coach Desiree Ellis introduced the majority of the young squad this year with a mere six players returning from 2019.

In other news, Orlando Pirates recently took to their official Twitter page to share the news of their latest team member, Jean-Marc Makusu Mundele. The 28-year-old footballer, whose nickname is JM, is originally from the Congo and previously played for AS Vista Club.

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Along with a short introductory clip made by JM, the page shared a long list of facts about Jean-Marc, some of which included his weight, position, and jersey number. Jean-Marc had the following to say about his new team:

“I am happy to have joined this prestigious club and I look forward to a successful stay. This move presents a new challenge in a new country for me. I have lofty ambitions and I am confident that I can achieve them with my new teammates.”

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