Former SAFA vice-president Ria Ledwaba was served a lifetime ban from all football activities in the country, and has accused those in power of tarnishing her name.
The decision taken by the association which many in the football circles termed ‘irrational’, were later rescinded, and seen the football supremo back in matters.
Ledwaba rose to the footballing prominance in the late nineties, to become the first female to have a soccer team in the topflight named Ria Stars, which boasted household names like the late Thabang Lebese and Thembinkosi Biyela.
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Furthermore, Ledwaba also championed the rise of women’s football in the country to much success, and in addition, held positions at SAFA.
With the ban overturned, Ledwaba now seeks an apology from the federation, citing how the situation has done nothing but tarnish her name in footballing circles.
“I was framed, I think it was a deliberate move whoever took my decision to rubbish my name, my reputation in football. A lot of things, a lot of people look at that and this woman who has been in football all my life,” Ledwaba said in an interview on GameOn on Radio 2000.
“I have spent my money to add value to football in this country, I was not employed to work. I actually contributed so much into this industry of football and I felt my name has been put out there unfairly so and then on the 19th they correct it, we are correcting it.
“I think correcting it for me was not enough, they went publicly to rubbish my name and I think it’s only fair that they go publicly or write me a letter and apologise,” Ledwaba highlighted further.
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The position for the head of South African football has long been a fiercely contested one, with the incumbent Dr Danny Jordaan facing criticism over the years.
Jordaan has been implicated in an investigation by the Hawks, and is accused of allegedly defrauding the association of millions of rands.
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