Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis during the friendly match between South Africa and Botswana at Tsakane Stadium. Picture: Sydney Mahlangu, BackpagePix
THE REPUTATION of South African football dropped to a new, all-time low on Sunday as the Fifa Women’s World Cup-bound Banyana Banyana squad clashed with Safa, resulting in them skipping their send-off match.
The South African senior women's national team and African champions were scheduled to play neighbours Botswana at the Tsakane Stadium in Brakpan, Ekurhuleni.
However, as early as Saturday, news broke from within the Banyana camp that the team selected for the World Cup expressed a resolution to not partake in the match, citing several reasons.
It is understood that the 23-player squad - plus three on standby - were displeased at being required to take to the low-quality pitch at the Tsakane Stadium as they hoped to avoid injuries.
A further concern of not being able to emulate the conditions they are likely to encounter at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is also believed to have created the friction.
The squad is also reported to have complained about the association’s failure to secure a higher calibre of opposition than Botswana as they step up their preparations to meet world No 3 Sweden, 28th-ranked Argentina, and Italy, who are ranked 16th, in Group G at the World Cup.
The players are believed to have been involved in a contractual dispute regarding their remuneration with Safa, headed by president Danny Jordaan, prompting the involvement of the South African Football Players Union (Safpu).
The football governing body’s reaction to the team’s requests was to threaten to send the squad home, as it further scrambled to assemble a match-day XI to face Botswana on Sunday.
The stalemate between the two parties stretched the entire morning and part of the afternoon, forcing the association to field a team made up of the Gauteng Sasol League.
Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis cut a downcast figure in her pre-match interview, stating that she and the women available for the match, were following the required formalities.
“I had to put a team on the field and we have a team,” she said.
“Once we get this match out of the way, we’ll sit down and see the way forward.”
The Mares of Botswana ran riot against the ‘fringe’ Banyana side, scoring four goals in the opening 25 minutes on their way to claim the 5-0 victory.
Afterwards, and despite the embarrassment, Ellis revealed her pride in her team on the day and felt a couple of the new players displayed enough for her to consider them in the future.
Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa said he was in contact with Jordaan and received written communication from Safpu.
“In the meantime I urge the team to be focused on the major task that lies ahead... the Fifa World Cup.
“To obtain a status update on the state of readiness of Banyana Banyana’s participation in the upcoming Fifa Women's World Cup, I will be meeting with the South Africa Football Players Union on Tuesday to hear the serious concerns expressed by the team.”
Meanwhile, the president of Safpu, Thulaganyo Gaoshubelwe, communicated his support for the group of players and vowed to represent the players’ interests in negotiations with Safa and the minister.
“They are fighting for their rights,” he said on footage released by the union.
“Safa dismissed them at 10am (on Sunday). The only reason is that Safa doesn’t want to include money into their contracts.”
Gaoshubelwe denied claims that the squad refused to play, instead stating that they were stopped by Safa.
“It’s not true (that they refused to play). They were told to be on the bus at 12pm and they were there.
“They were stopped, they received a call from the president (Danny Jordaan) saying they must not come. They were told to go home,” he told the media.
Banyana are scheduled to play Costa Rica in Christchurch on July 15 in a warm-up match for the World Cup.
Their first match of the tournament is on July 23 against Sweden at Eden Park in Auckland.