Banyana strike resolved, Safa says, as step-aside motion for Jordaan fails to materialise

The South African Football Association (Safa) admitted its role in a strike by Banyana Banyana in Morocco in the days leading up to their defence of their Women’s Africa Cup Nations (Wafcon) title after its congress at Sandton Convention Centre on Saturday.

A step-aside motion for president Danny Jordaan, which would have been brought by four disgruntled regions, did not materialise — but the Safa boss still had to defend his legal battles amid criminal charges and how that affects the association financially, which posted a R5m deficit.

Banyana apparently downed tools for training on Thursday and Friday ahead of their July 7 kickoff against Ghana in Oujda over unpaid bonuses for their friendlies against Malawi and Zambia in April and June, though the impasse was resolved. Safa said they trained again on Saturday.

“That matter has been resolved — the CEO [Lydia Monyepao] and vice-president [Linda] Zwane dealt with it,” Jordaan said.

Zwane played down the strike as arising from the “minor issue of payments for the previous games, particularly the Malawi game, which the association has undertaken to address”.

Monyepao said the disagreement was over the dates for the payments. She was asked how, given the huge controversy that erupted when Banyana went on strike ahead of the 2023 World Cup over bonuses not being agreed, Safa had not learnt from its mistakes.

She said this time Safa had agreed on the tournament bonuses with the players. She said the association sent correspondence to the players on June 22 communicating when the outstanding past bonuses would be paid, but Banyana were no happy with the arrangement.

She suggested Safa’s cash flow problems were the root of the payments not being made timeously.

Jordaan admitted the issue for Safa is it has “10 national teams but only two of those — Bafana Bafana and Banyana — have sponsors”.

He was asked if, in the interests of Safa’s image, he should not step aside given the association is battling to attract financial backers. Jordaan said no step-aside motion was made at the congress.

“What the members recognise is there are three [media] publications in the country out of more than 300, over the last year, that beat the same drum and still went on to beat it this morning.

“Nothing happened here. We had a successful congress, we dealt with all the reports, we had debates and Safa is intact. But if you read those three newspapers you will see a different picture generated.

“Of the matters in the court [against Jordaan] three have already been withdrawn.”

In February three theft charges against Jordaan and one of his co-accused, Safa CFO Gronie Hluyo, were withdrawn — three counts of fraud and one of conspiracy to commit fraud remain.

Jordaan attempted to portray a congress that was business as usual where the 52 regions and 11 associate members “endorsed and celebrated the progress made in South African football”.

He said this was supported by the performances of Bafana and Banyana, men’s under-17s reaching their World Cup and U-20s winning South Africa’s first-ever U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, and Mamelodi Sundowns competing strongly at the Fifa Club World Cup in the US.

A financial statement posting a R5m deficit was “approved unanimously by the members” and a turnaround strategy was accepted “as a new path to follow”.

However, one of the opposing members to Jordaan, who did not want to be named, said the congress was “very heated”.

They said the faction that wanted to bring a step-aside motion tested the waters on a vote on another matter and realised they did not have the numbers. They said they will regroup and try to get the numbers by the next congress in December.

“Some members were frustrated because that meeting dragged and some went outside. We managed to pass an activity report through by 23 votes to 17. The margin was not big and with the number abstaining — 10 — and members outside, we were no longer certain about who was with us,” they said.