SAFA Chief Medical Officer Dr Thulani Ngwenya resigns

It is not clear what the reasons for his sudden departure are.

Dr Ngwenya has been with the Association since 2014 and in his decade-long stay served the FA as a Bafana Bafana Team Doctor under various coaches, including Shakes Mashaba, Stuart Baxter and Molefi Ntseki, among others.

He started his tenure in the junior ranks, working mainly with the U17 and U20 Men and Women’s National teams and also had a brief stint with Banyana Banyana as their Team Doctor.

The Mpumalanga-born sports physician has in recent time been a regular figure at CAF and FIFA Competitions and events and serves as the Chief Medical Officer at COSAFA tournaments.

Dr Ngwenya rose to prominence during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 when he had to help the game of football manoeuvre through the challenge.

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He was at the time put in charge to see the sport back to normality, working with both the FA and PSL.

His departure from SAFA comes at a time when the embattled Association is going through serious turbulence with various factors at play.

Just recently, it was widely reported that Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana players as well as staff members of both teams were owed payment, leading to the office of the Minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie forwarding an advancement to the FA to sort out the matter.

SAFA President Danny Jordaan and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Gronie Hluyo, are currently on trial for fraud and theft of about R1.3m and the case returns to court on 7 February 2025.

It is still unclear if the Association will look for a replacement for Dr Ngwenya or not, as the FA has closed their office for the festive season and will only reopen in January.