Former Bafana Bafana head of performance analysis Sinesipho Mali has accused SAFA of leaving World Cup staff in the dark, saying he has still not received his contractual 2026 FIFA World Cup bonus and does not own a home or away national team jersey.

Mali, who was part of Hugo Broos’ technical team when South Africa reached the knockout stages for the first time, posted that he “went to the World Cup (qualified with the team)” but has “no Bafana Bafana jersey (both home and away).” He added that he has not been paid his bonus and that those waiting for money “receive the news like everybody else” through public statements, with “no letter or message.”

The comments came today, Sunday after a post claimed 40 SAFA NEC members had each received R150,000 in honoraria this month. Mali left the national setup in July, shortly after the tournament, and has since taken up a sporting director role at AmaZulu.

SAFA said on 7 September that World Cup bonuses for players and support staff remain unpaid because of outstanding tax compliance in the United States and Mexico, where Bafana played matches. The association said a portion of FIFA prize money has been received and that allowances and other fees have already been settled. Only the bonuses are outstanding and will be processed once the tax work is finished.

Reports earlier put player bonuses in the region of R2 million to R2.5 million each after Bafana’s last-32 finish. Staff payouts sit in a smaller technical-team pool. Mali’s post has sharpened the contrast between that delay and claims of honoraria paid to association officials. SAFA has not issued a specific response to his claim.

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