The Motsepe family has come to the rescue of SA football for the umpteenth time, as Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe and two unnamed businesswomen have pledged to give Banyana Banyana in the region of R8 million for their participation at the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup that will be staged in Australia and New Zealand later this month.
A member of the SAFA National Executive Committee revealed the latest to Sunday World on Tuesday night.
Banyana players, who are supposed to leave for Australia/New Zealand on Wednesday, had a dispute with the national association over World Cup bonuses and participation fees.
The Desiree Ellis coached team boycotted their send-off match against Botswana on Sunday in Tsakane.
Dr Moloi-Motsepe is wife of SA mining magnate and billionaire Patrice Motsepe who is also CAF president and funder of the ABC Motsepe League (third tier of SA football).
At the beginning of last year, Motsepe rescued the Premier Soccer League (PSL) from the clutches of disaster after national first division sponsors GladAfrica pulled out at the last minute.
Motsepe and the league chairman Irvin Khoza announced the Motsepe Foundation Champions as the new sponsors of the second tier SA league.
The girls were each guaranteed R560 000 after world federation Fifa upped the ante and mentioned that they will each pay the girls from all the teams an appearance fee of $30 000.
Safa has not put anything on the table. If the R8 million form Dr Moloi-Motsepe is divided by 23 players, it means that each girl will get R350 000 on top of the Fifa money, which equals to a sugar-coated R900 000.
Banyana are also guaranteed more money if they win matches and progress to the knockout rounds of the World Cup.
However, it seems that a solution has been reached after a marathon meeting Safa, the Minister of Sport Zizi Kodwa and the SA Football Players Union (Safpu) on Tuesday night. A press conference where all the details will be revealed, will be held on Wednesday at Safa house.
Safa have been preaching about pay parity and had mentioned that Banyana players get equal pay with Bafana Bafana players of R40 000 for a win and R20 000 for a draw.
But the national association has been lambasted for not coming to the party when it comes to Banyana, who are the reigning African champions after they won WAFCON tournament in Morocco last year.
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