You’ve got to admire this crop of Banyana Banyana players. They’ll go down in history as the first group of our women’s national football team that had the guts to stand up to the notorious suits at Nasrec.
That Banyana succeeded in getting the remuneration they thought they deserved, is even sweeter not just for the current team but future generations of this team.
For a long time, we’ve witnessed the SA Football Association (Safa) treating Banyana as second-class citizens compared to their male counterparts, Bafana Bafana, who they ensure the red carpet is laid out nicely for every time they’re in town.
Take for instance playing an international friendly at the Tsakane Stadium, a venue where even a third string Bafana side has never entertained anyone at.
This was meant to be Banyana’s send-off match before they go to the Fifa World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, and against such a low-ranked opposition at a venue that far from meets the required standards.
Mind you, Safa had more than 12 months to plan for a match of that calibre but in the end delivered Botswana to a venue that the players were reluctant to risk injuries at.
In fact, the preparations for the World Cup have been shambolic from the moment Banyana were crowned African champions in Morocco in July last year.
A year has gone since Banyana beat Morocco to clinch their maiden African crown, but only six matches against Brazil (x2), Australia, Uzbekistan, Slovenia and Serbia have been played.
There were further opportunities to play better teams in Europe and because Banyana players knew that Fifa had given Safa preparation funding, they kept asking what exactly was done with that money if they end up forced to play against a lowly opposition like Botswana at thedilapidated Ekurhuleni stadium.
Even the Zambian Football Association did much better in preparing their women team for their maiden appearance at the World Cup, ensuring that they played Switzerland and Ireland.
Reports emerged that Safa had been offered to play Germany and Switzerland but turned them down over the cost. Cost that Zambia could afford?
The Banyana players had many other concerns ahead of their trip to New Zealand, and they did well to ensure most are addressed before they departed this week.
For Safa president Danny Jordaan to admit that they left things until a final Banyana team was selected before they started talks on what they stand to get, indicates how poor their administration is.
Of course, some people will worry about a team demanding to be paid what they think they are worth before they produce the results on the football pitch.
But we’re talking about the African champions here, a team that everyone should take seriously regardless of how well we think they’ll fare at a global showpiece.
The most intriguing fact around this whole saga is how Safa leaves critical decisions to the last minute. Whether you talk about organising matches or dealing with players’ contracts, nothing is done on time.
That attitude came back to haunt Safa as Banyana players stood firm on their demands and were prepared to risk everything, including their places in the team.
What Banyana were fighting for is a matter of principle ... to say, “let’s have everything in place and written in black and white before we take to the field”.
If Banyana trusted Safa, there would have been no doubt about what they’ll get for their work. But because our football is in the hands of people incapable of keeping their word, Banyana had to do what they did.
I’m sure Banyana players wasted a lot of time trying to fix matters off the field instead of focusing on their preparation for the World Cup. But I’d rather have them doing that instead of trusting Safa.
As I said, the fight the current crop of Banyana fought is not just theirs, but for future generations of Banyana players who will go back to what the likes of Thembi Kgatlana, Refiloe Jane and Ayanda Dlamini did. They’ll surely be happy with the difficult conversations they had with bosses who never thought much of them.
After all this fighting people will now worry about the kind of results Banyana produce on the field and the backlash they’ll get if they flop. The truth is Safa will have to take some of the blame for not preparing the team the way they should have.
For Safa president Danny Jordaan to admit they left things until a final Banyana team was selected before they started talks on what they stand to get, indicates how poor their administration is. What stopped Safa from starting talks with Banyana on their World Cup bonuses immediately after qualifying for the showpiece in July last year?
Had Safa done that, none of the embarrassing scenes in Tsakane at the weekend would have taken place. The choice of opposition and where the matches are played need to be discussed with coaches and the leading players of the team.
These decisions can no longer be left to an organisation that has clearly demonstrated time and again that they’ve lost the plot when it comes to doing things on time and for the benefit of the players.
I for one will continue supporting Banyana no matter how they perform at the World Cup. The fight they put up this week was not about results they’re capable of getting in New Zealand and Australia. It was about the principle of fighting for their rights and the future of the woman football in SA.
I’m just glad that the statement Banyana players made caught as many people’s attention as possible and in the end there were many decisions taken in their favour.
If Banyana perform beyond our expectations and go to the second round at the World Cup it will be a bonus, one they’re clearly worth and deserve.
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