Timmy T Maranda
Banyana Banyana legend Portia ‘Bashin’ Modise expressed her excitement about the announcement of new Hollywoodbets Super League sponsorship.
Modise told Scrolla.Africa that she welcomes the new sponsor and said that this is an investment in women’s football – even though it still falls far short of the mark.
“I am so happy, I have been preaching that we need a sponsor. We can’t say we are improving women’s football without the sponsors,” she said.
“I am so thankful to the new sponsor. Now, Women of the match are getting R2,000. Before, we could only get a trophy but if you check men’s football, they get R10,000. It’s better than nothing for us,” she continued.
The 37 year old said that, like her, many have played at the highest level of the women’s game, “but we have nothing to show.”
Modise, who played for the Orlando Pirates and Jomo Cosmos women’s teams before moving to Denmark in 2007, said there was no money in the industry, and only those who were playing for the national team ever got financial ‘incentives’.
“Now, I think we are starting on a right note. After Covid-19, we have to give it to Hollywoodbets for coming on board to help women’s football to grow,” said Modise who played for Fortuna Hjørring in Denmark’s Elitedivisionen league.
The legend, who announced her retirement from international football in 2015 after playing 124 matches and scoring 101 goals for Banyana Banyana, believes that women footballers deserve to get paid like male footballers in the DStv Premiership.
“I am encouraging other corporate companies to invest in women’s football like Hollywoodbets.”
The official launch of the sponsor is scheduled for Tuesday at SAFA House, at 12:00pm.
Picture source: @PortiaModise_12
