Mkhalele slams Fifa over AFCON player release rule

Bafana Bafana assistant coach Helman Mkhalele has urged Fifa to conduct serious introspection as the national team prepares for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) without several of their Europe-based players.

South Africa will open their campaign against Angola on December 22 as they aim to improve on their third-place finish from the previous edition, where they were eliminated by Nigeria on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the semi-finals.

The national team has now fully shifted their focus to AFCON after learning their World Cup group on Friday. Bafana were drawn in Group A alongside tournament hosts Mexico, South Korea, and one of Denmark, Republic of Ireland, North Macedonia or the Czech Republic, who will compete in the Uefa play-offs in March.

Reacting to the draw, Mkhalele said he was relieved that they can now direct full attention to AFCON preparations while also starting to consider what will be required for the World Cup, especially as it will be staged across three different countries.

“With the draw done and dusted, we can fully focus on our preparations for the AFCON.

“Prior to the draw, we were full of anxiety because we didn’t know who we would be playing against because this tournament will be so different from other World Cups. It’s played in different locations with different altitudes.

“Knowing where we are playing makes it easier for us, as even though we are fully focused on the AFCON, we can start looking into a few things that we can do in preparation for the World Cup.”

The World Cup kicks off on June 11 next year, while AFCON is scheduled to run until late January. Mkhalele expressed concern about the proximity of the two tournaments and how the timing affects African teams.

“With the planning of Caf playing the AFCON so close to the World Cup, on one hand it’s good, and on the other it’s a disadvantage for us, especially in this new format where you have 48 teams playing in different altitudes. It's difficult for African teams to plan.”

Fifa’s decision to allow European clubs to release players only from January 15 — just six days before AFCON begins — has complicated preparations for several nations, as teams will have minimal time to gather their full squads.

Mkhalele criticised this stance, calling for Fifa to find a fairer balance that considers the needs of all football associations rather than favouring one region over another.

“To make matters worse, Fifa has allowed clubs to release players on the 15th," he continued.

“On a hindsight, I feel it will also have negative impact on our preparations for the World Cup. It’s totally unfair and unacceptable because when you look at it, you start to make assumptions that Fifa doesn’t take African football as seriously as they do the Europeans.

“You start to feel that you are more of less importance than the other nations and other leagues. But I believe that Caf needs to make their point to Fifa because it can’t go on like this.

“CAF needs to be involved in everything, even with the AFCON being played in December. It’s better even now because normally it’s in January, and then a few months later you go and play the World Cup.

“Fifa needs to do some introspection and try to find the balance for everyone so that everyone can play on the same level.”