Mismanagement and bungling seem to have found a permanent home at the headquarters of the SA Football Association (Safa).
A week ahead of the senior women’s national team beginning the defence of their African title, Banyana Banyana were again forced to embark on a protest to demand payment of their long overdue bonuses for representing the country.
The remuneration was due after a series of matches they played while preparing for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, starting on Saturday in Morocco.
In response to the latest pay standoff involving a national team, Safa vice-president Linda Zwane sought to downplay the matter, saying the team was owed for the camps held in April and June.
“It’s a minor issue ... an issue of the payments of the previous games they played, particularly the Malawi games,” said Zwane as she revealed that an agreement was reached with the team, which eventually resumed training after negotiations.
However, this was not the first time that the women’s team had been humiliated to the extent of resorting to protest to register their unhappiness to force Safa to honour its promise.
In the run-up to the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup, the team confronted Safa over remuneration and other issues, such as being expected to play a friendly match on the poor quality turf at Tsakane Stadium in Ekurhuleni.
A second-string team ended up taking the field against Botswana.
Such has been the defining character of the national football governing body that it has lurched from one crisis to another.
Take, for example, the fielding of Bafana Bafana midfielder Tebogo Mokoena during a World Cup qualifying game against Lesotho. Mokoena’s accumulated yellow cards could rob the team of the three points it fought hard to secure in the field of play.
Last month, Safa CFO Gronie Hluyo painted a worrying picture of the association’s finances before the parliamentary oversight committee for sport, arts and culture. He revealed that Safa’s liabilities exceed its assets by R141m.
The blame for this state of affairs should be placed squarely at the feet of the association’s leadership. Mismanagement and controversies have eroded public trust in the organisation and put off sponsors.
No self-respecting brand would want to associate with an organisation that is in disarray and causes more harm than good. The Banyana bonus saga is yet another humiliation that shows Safa has learnt no lessons from previous embarrassments.
It is the worst act of betrayal for a team that has done this country proud and carries our hopes of proudly defending their title.
SOWETAN SAYS | Safa does not learn from its mistakes
Image: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Mismanagement and bungling seem to have found a permanent home at the headquarters of the SA Football Association (Safa).
A week ahead of the senior women’s national team beginning the defence of their African title, Banyana Banyana were again forced to embark on a protest to demand payment of their long overdue bonuses for representing the country.
The remuneration was due after a series of matches they played while preparing for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, starting on Saturday in Morocco.
In response to the latest pay standoff involving a national team, Safa vice-president Linda Zwane sought to downplay the matter, saying the team was owed for the camps held in April and June.
“It’s a minor issue ... an issue of the payments of the previous games they played, particularly the Malawi games,” said Zwane as she revealed that an agreement was reached with the team, which eventually resumed training after negotiations.
However, this was not the first time that the women’s team had been humiliated to the extent of resorting to protest to register their unhappiness to force Safa to honour its promise.
In the run-up to the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup, the team confronted Safa over remuneration and other issues, such as being expected to play a friendly match on the poor quality turf at Tsakane Stadium in Ekurhuleni.
A second-string team ended up taking the field against Botswana.
Such has been the defining character of the national football governing body that it has lurched from one crisis to another.
Take, for example, the fielding of Bafana Bafana midfielder Tebogo Mokoena during a World Cup qualifying game against Lesotho. Mokoena’s accumulated yellow cards could rob the team of the three points it fought hard to secure in the field of play.
Last month, Safa CFO Gronie Hluyo painted a worrying picture of the association’s finances before the parliamentary oversight committee for sport, arts and culture. He revealed that Safa’s liabilities exceed its assets by R141m.
The blame for this state of affairs should be placed squarely at the feet of the association’s leadership. Mismanagement and controversies have eroded public trust in the organisation and put off sponsors.
No self-respecting brand would want to associate with an organisation that is in disarray and causes more harm than good. The Banyana bonus saga is yet another humiliation that shows Safa has learnt no lessons from previous embarrassments.
It is the worst act of betrayal for a team that has done this country proud and carries our hopes of proudly defending their title.
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Banyana back in training despite no pay
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