Safa must be held to account after Banyana's pay protest

FOR the umpteenth time, South Africa’s national women’s football team, Banyana Banyana, have had to confront the age-old issue of unpaid salaries while preparing for a major tournament.

- HERMAN GIBBS

This troubling pattern resurfaced on Friday, ahead of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, when players staged a sit-in protest and flatly refused to attend a scheduled training session at their Moroccan base.

When news of the sit-in broke, frustration reached boiling point. Former technical director of women’s football at Safa, Fran Hilton-Smith, took to social media to lament the ongoing “mess” — a sentiment echoed by many who have observed the repeated mis-handling of women’s football matters over the years.

Social media platforms have since been flooded with expressions of outrage from fans over the continued mistreatment of Banyana, who are the defending Wafcon champions. Many have also called for structural reforms within Safa to ensure the long-term well-being and success of the team.