If you read all the stories that came from the Banyana Banyana’s excursion in Turkey carefully, any person with half a brain can make the conclusion that the national association was desperate in getting the girls to the Turkish Women’s Cup, no matter what the circumstances or the current state of affairs in Turkey.
This amid a trail of destruction left by a devastating 7.8 magnitude on the Richter scale earthquake that rocked parts of Turkey and Syria last week. As a result, more than 42 000 people were killed and bodies are still being yanked out from the rubble.
The traumatic news that Ghana international star Christian Atsu’s lifeless body was discovered yesterday under the wreckage, adds in making the tournament a little out of taste. Atsu was plying his trade in the Turkish league.
Last night, Banyana played their first match at the tournament against Uzbekistan. Decisions were made in haste because on Saturday, a statement was released that there was no resolution yet on whether Banyana were still travelling to Turkey – yet on Tuesday, they sent out a release saying they were on their way to the airport and that they had consulted with the SA embassy, the world football governing body Fifa and all other stakeholders.
News from Turkey is that the Turkish women’s national team withdrew from the tournament as a sign of mourning. The Venezuelan Football Federation did the same. Even the media releases coming from the Banyana camp bordered on the safety of our players. Both Safa technical director Walter Steenbok and the goalkeeper stressed how safe they were.
As much as I understand that coach Desiree Ellis and Banyana need international friendly matches to prepare for the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup in July/August, this tournament should have been cancelled or postponed. Nelson Mandela once said: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.”
However, this tournament is taking place against a backdrop of suffering, sorrow, tears and devastation – it just does not feel right. Maybe Safa could have followed in the footsteps of Turkey and Venezuela.
People in Turkey are still looking for missing family members, others are still hoping that their loved ones will come out from the rubble alive. Right now, the only thing they are thinking about is having children, fathers and mothers back home alive.
I guess former Liverpool great Bill Shankly was not smoking his socks when he said: “Some people think football is a matter of life and death, I can assure you it is much more important than that.”
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