The South African Football Association (SAFA) and 13 other Football Associations have responded to the nonsense spewed by UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin.
The Slovenian lawyer disrespected some of the countries taking part at the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals currently underway in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America (USA) by saying that they were not worth taking part in the tournament.
In a statement released on Sunday evening, the Football Associations of Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast and South Africa express their disappointment on Čeferin’s comments regarding the expansion of the FIFA World Cup and his characterisation of many matches as being “uninteresting”.
“We respectfully, but firmly reject these comments. For our countries, there is no such thing as an unimportant World Cup match,” the statement said.
The statement added that for Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan, qualification for the FIFA World Cup represents a historic achievement and the realisation of a dream shared by generations.
“For nations such as Congo and Haiti, returning to football’s biggest stage after a long absence carries a special meaning for millions of supporters, who have waited years and in some cases decades, for this moment,” the statement further said.
The 14 FAs also said that suggesting that the matches are somehow less important fails to recognise the efforts, sacrifices and aspirations of players, coaches, clubs, football leaders and supporters across the world.
The statement concluded: “Behind every qualification stand years of work and investment. Behind every national team stand entire communities and millions of people, who see football as a source of pride, hope and unity. Football does not belong to a select group of nations. Its strength comes from its universality. The FIFA World Cup is the world’s greatest football competition precisely because it brings together different cultures, different histories and different football journeys.
“For many countries, participation in the FIFA World Cup is not only a sporting achievement. It is a moment that inspires a generation, accelerates football development and creates memories that last a lifetime. We believe that every nation that qualifies deserves respect. Every team has earned its place on merit. Every supporter has the right to dream. Every match carries meaning for millions of people around the world.
“We, therefore, reject the UEFA president’s comments and re-affirm our belief that the growth of football must continue to create opportunities, inspire new generations and strengthen the truly global nature of our game. Every team qualified on merit. Every match matters.”
