By Dylan Bettencourt
- Safa has asked Fifa for a $1.5 million advance to help pay for Bafana Bafana World Cup preparations.
- Coach Hugo Broos wants friendlies and training camps to prepare the team before June.
With just months to go before the 2026 Fifa World Cup, Safa has asked Fifa for an early cash payout to help prepare Bafana Bafana.
The football body has requested $1.5-million, about R24-million, from Fifa.
The request is for an advance from the World Cup preparation budget. The letter was signed by Safa president Danny Jordaan and chief executive Lydia Monyepao.
The money is part of the total World Cup prize pool of $727-million that will be shared by all 48 countries at the tournament.
For Safa, the request comes at a tough time. The association has told Parliament that it is struggling financially.
Bafana coach Hugo Broos has already submitted his Afcon report and a World Cup preparation plan.
This plan will be discussed at the next Safa technical committee meeting. According to sources, Broos wants several things in place before the World Cup.
These include a friendly match in Europe, possibly against Belgium. He also wants a training camp in Qatar.
Another idea is a four-nations tournament to help the team sharpen up before June.
Bafana Bafana open their World Cup campaign against Mexico on 11 June. They will then face South Korea and a European playoff winner.
That opponent is likely to be Denmark, Czechia, Ireland or North Macedonia.
March is the last window for warm-up matches. Safa will need to move quickly if it wants to give Broos what he needs.
Pictured above: Danny Jordaan.
Image source: File
