Menzi Magubane
In 2019, South African Football Association (Safa) promised that they would put Banyana Banyana on the same wages as Bafana Bafana.
Three years later, the change has not been made, so the EFF has demanded action.
Bafana players are paid R500 per day while their female counterparts are paid R400 for the same services.
As for bonuses, Bafana players get R60,000 each if they win the match and R40,000 for a draw.
Banyana players on the other hand receive R5,000 per win and a draw sees them taking home R4,000 in a friendly match.
“In the words of coach Desiree Ellis, knowing ‘this is for everyone at home, there are some who can’t even watch us with things like loadshedding back home’. We reiterate that the government, sponsors and Safa should up their game,” the EFF said in a statement.
“Pay and incentivise the women’s team similarly or more than [that] of their male counterparts.”
Banyana are currently performing well in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in Morocco. They are through to the semi-finals where they’ll meet Zambia on Monday night.
Safa president Danny Jordaan has promised to give Banyana players a bonus of R400,000 each should they win the tournament.
Together with host nation Morocco, they are the only two teams that are yet to taste defeat in the competition and are very much among the favourites to win the tournament.
They stamped their authority after beating reigning champions Nigeria in their opening match. They went on to win the rest of their group stage matches and followed this with a win in the quarter-finals.
Banyana defeated Tunisia 1-0 in a tense match on Thursday while Morocco beat Botswana in the last eight to book their spot in the semis. On Monday night, Morocco will face Nigeria for a place in the final.
Image source: @Banyana_Banyana
