South African Football Players Union Secretary-General, Nhlanhla Tshabalala has raised concerns that Banyana Banyana may not take to the field at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup unless contractual disputes regarding their support staff with SAFA are settled.
SAFA had released a statement on Sunday, 16 July disputing that they agreed to pay Banyana support staff an amount of R115 000 as a guarantee payment for a duration of at least a month in New Zealand and Australia.
Read: Wydad Closing In On Chiefs' Bimenyimana
The SA association stated they were "shocked and surprised" when SAFPU made the announcement at a press conference held on 4 July in Sandton that there's an agreement in place to pay the support staff R115 000.
The association stated that "nowhere in the world does a staff member of a team get paid an appearance fee at the World Cup".
Tshabalala has since noted the payment that SAFA intends to remunerate the Banyana support staff.
"You can imagine they will go and stay for a month in New Zealand and Australia. What they are allocated is a mere $50 a day (approximately R898 per day), which is an allowance," Tshabalala said on Marawa Sports Worldwide.
"And if you count it down into 30 days, it gives you round about R24 000 - R27 000. Are you telling me that's the only thing they are going to get at the World Cup as a guarantee?
"Because any other money they would have engaged with SAFA is on the basis of Banyana Banyana progressing to the next stage and every time they progress there would be an allocation of about R15 000 per person, we're not interested in that, that would come as a result of the brilliance of Banyana Banyana," he said.
SAFA did acknowledge in their statement that the support staff will be paid daily fees and in addition offered them bonuses based on performance "and not by simply being at the tournament", "as per the assignment contracts they signed".
However, Tshabalala also revealed that the Banyana players might not take to the field at the World Cup, if there's no agreement in place that guarantees the support staff that R115 000 and accused the association of "plunging the country into a crisis".
"It's very surprising and unprofessional of SAFA. They want to plunge this country into a crisis because I can tell you, the Banyana players said they are not going to sign those contracts unless the staff is guaranteed the money," he said.
"Because I don't even know at this point because they feel very determined to move together with their staff. So, is this what they (SAFA) want? We want to see a Banyana probably refusing to take on to the field on the basis that SAFA show and continue to show a lack of respect?" he asked.
Banyana's opening World Cup game is on Sunday morning against Sweden.
Read – Pio Nogueira: 'Something Is Wrong'
You must be SIGNED IN to read and post comments.
