Safa organise Banyana replacements as World Cup pay-row escalates

With Banyana Banyana’s World Cup-bound squad refusing to play, the South African Football Association have assembled a team that will play Botswana in an international friendly.

Banyana and the Female Zebras were meant to lock-horns at the Tsakane Stadium, but disagreements between the association and the squad have thrown a spanner in the works.

According to South African Football Players Union (Safpu) secretary general Nhlanhla Shabalala, the players were ready to play the game, but were not happy with the chosen field and Safa did agree to pay them the money they feel they deserve.

Fifa stated that each and every one of the 732 players at the tournament will get at least $30,000 (R572,000) as part of the overall prize pool of $110 million (R2.1 billion).

“There is nowhere the players said they are not going to play the match. They just wanted their needs to be met,” said the Safpu secretary. 

“Firstly, they were not happy with the ground, which is in a really bad state for a professional player. They risk getting injuries at that pitch, which is very bad. I really don’t blame the players for crying out about the ground,”

“The girls … wanted to play even though they were not happy with the pitch. It’s just that the players (also) wanted their money demands to be agreed on. But Safa wanted to them to sign a contract which was not really giving them anything, it is very unfair to them.”

Shabalala stressed the fact that women’s football has been undermined for a long time and it’s about time the ladies stepped up for their own rights, as Safa president Danny Jordaan didn’t treat the team well. 

“The ladies just want what is due to them which is in their own right. The president is not treating them fairly and something has to happen about this. How does a president go on and select a team by himself,” he added.

Jordaan is said to have managed to assemble a team that will play against Botswana, with the kick-off now delayed to 4pm. 

Meanwhile, according to a source, the association has organised some Hollywoodbets league players to honour the Botswana game and they will play with an old Banyana kit, with coach Desiree Ellis in charge as well as team manager Lauren Duncan.