“Danny Jordaan Is Stressed”: The Dilemma of Banyana Bonuses and SAFA Being Cash-Strapped
Against all odds, the South African women’s national football team, Banyana Banyana, triumphed 3-2 against the Italians on 2 August 2023. The close win sees the team not only reach the last 16 but also notch a bigger bag from the FIFA Women’s World Cup spectacle.
As things currently stand, each Banyana player is set to receive $60 000 (roughly R1.1 million) for simply making it into the knock-out stages. This is under FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s announcement back in March about funnelling more money into women’s football, particularly the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
LINDA MOTHLALO CELEBRATING THE WIN | SUPPLIED
With each play now having collected a cool million from FIFA, the dilemma now lies in that SAFA might not be able to pay the players the big bonuses they are entitled to because the association is cash-strapped.
“We have said that any money that is raised will be distributed to the staff. So far, only R6-million has been raised for the players, thanks to the Motsepe Foundation and iThuba,” the SAFA website said on 16 July 2023, providing clarity on Banyana Banyana staff payments.
The donated R6 million equates to roughly R230 000 for each player, a paltry amount that’s not even a quarter of what each play will be bringing back home courtesy of FIFA.
THEMBI KGATLANA AND NOMVULA KGOALE | SUPPLIED
South Africans took to X to poke fun at the situation, with most tweeps targeting current SAFA president Danny Jordaan and the issue of having to fork out more money to pay the ladies.
Queen B, Bonang Matheba, who’s been vocal in showing support to the ladies tweeted: “Danny Jordaan is stresseddttttt la nkutlwa! O batla go swa.”
@ObieSwaden said: “Danny Jordaan right now thinking of the money he promised Banyana Banyana.”
@Mbojunior999 tweeted a video of Nigerian actor Osita Iheme masking himself with a cap and ducking under the table with the caption: “Danny Jordaan bumping into Banyana Banyana players. Bonuses must be paid we don’t want stories.”
Banyana will be facing 9th-ranked team in the world the Netherlands on 6 August 2023.