Banyana to leave for World Cup as Motsepe Foundation settles pay crisis

Banyana Banyana will leave for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand on Wednesday and Thursday having reached a financial deal with SAFA. 

This comes after the national side boycotted their international friendly against Botswana in at Tsakane Stadium in Brakpan on Sunday, essentially striking from national duty and citing concerns over their appearance contracts for the World Cup. 

After a standoff of epic proportions between the Banyana players, SAFA and the South African Players’ Union, CAF president Patrice Motsepe came to the rescue through his Motsepe Foundation and ensured that the players can now leave for the World Cup satisfied.

At a press conference in Johannesburg on Wednesday, it was confirmed that Motsepe had funded the national side, topping up the World Cup appearance fees that were allocated from FIFA. 

It is understood that the Motsepe Foundation contributed R6 million, with each player receiving R230 000.

SAFA president Danny Jordaan acknowledged that the issue of World Cup contracting and player appearance fees had been left too late by SAFA, and he said that moving forward, this process needed to begin when the preliminary squad was announced and not the final travelling squad. 

Banyana, who lost 5-0 to Botswana after fielding a makeshift team, will now play Costa Rica on 15 July in Christchurch in their final warm-up match before their World Cup campaign gets underway on 23 July. 

Banyana are pooled alongside Sweden, Argentina and Italy.