Banyana stand-off: SAFA slams 'misleading' players union in contract row

The ongoing saga between Banyana Banyana and the South African Football Association (SAFA) has escalated after SAFA criticised the South African Football Players Union (Safpu) for making misleading public statements about reaching an agreement, while also questioning the union's legitimacy. 

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In a fiery statement released on Monday night, SAFA expressed shock at what it deemed to be "misleading utterances in the public domain" by Safpu.

Banyana's 26-player Women’s World Cup squad has ignited much debate after they declined to play against neighbouring Botswana in a friendly match on Sunday.

The players voiced concerns over facing Botswana, who are ranked 150th in the world, and demanded a venue with a 2010 World Cup legacy as the Tsakane Stadium's pitch conditions were unfit for an international fixture.

At the crux of the matter is that the players feel SAFA has been dragging its feet with player contracts and finances related to their World Cup participation.

“SAFA has noted the concerning and misleading utterances in the public domain attributed to Safpu claiming it has a co-operative agreement with the association,” SAFA's statement read.

“This statement is false, distasteful and misleading as no such agreement is in place. It is an insult to the intellect of the nation.

“SAFA challenges Safpu to produce a copy of such an agreement. As a trade union, they should know that there are particular processes that have to be followed.”

A day before some members of the World Cup team depart for New Zealand on Wednesday (others on Thursday), the prospect of a SAFA-Banyana agreement remains uncertain.

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