The Citizen reports that the SA Football Association (Safa) is set to have two emergency meetings with the Banyana Banyana squad following the intervention of Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa and Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi.
This after a row erupted between Safa and Banyana ahead of their friendly game against Botswana at Tsakane Stadium on Sunday. The players did not want to play on a poor-quality pitch and had financial demands that they wanted Safa to meet in their World Cup contracts. Allegedly, Safa president Danny Jordaan told the players to go home and Safa fielded a makeshift team, with none of the Banyana World Cup squad involved. Botswana exploited their inexperienced rivals to win 5-0. The match was supposed to be Banyana’s World Cup send-off, with the tournament starting in Australia and New Zealand on 20 July. Apart from concerns about the venue, Banyana were unhappy with the financial arrangements for World Cup. According to the players, they will receive about R560,000 each from Fifa, but nothing from Safa. Banyana apparently refused to sign pre-tournament contracts, demanding an additional $21,000 each from Safa. Safa’s Gronie Hluyo said the players were being “unreasonable” in their demands. “What Fifa has committed to giving them is way more than we have committed to any of the national teams previously, including Bafana Bafana,” he claimed. The first meeting between Safa and Banyana will deal with contracts, while the second will deal with World Cup logistics. Banyana are due to leave for New Zealand in two groups, on Wednesday and on Thursday,
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tshepo Ntsoelengoe at The Citizen
- Read too, Safa CEO defends moves amid Banyana boycott, at BusinessLive
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page