South Africa Women’s World Cup team sits out game in pay dispute
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A standoff between South Africa’s Women’s World Cup squad and the nationwide soccer affiliation over pay and different points compelled officers to area a makeshift staff of little-known gamers that included a 13-year-old for a sport towards Botswana on Sunday.
The sport was presupposed to be the ultimate warm-up match for the African girls’s champion on dwelling soil earlier than it headed off to the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, however it changed into a humiliation on and off the sector as all the World Cup squad sat out the sport.
South Africa’s staff of alternative gamers rapidly pulled collectively from native golf equipment misplaced 5-0 to Botswana on the Tsakane Stadium close to Johannesburg. They had been 4-0 down at halftime in a sport that was delayed for an hour on the request of the South African Football Association (SAFA) so it might scramble and put collectively a staff.
South Africa coach Desiree Ellis mentioned one of many gamers she needed to draft in was aged 13. In a post-match interview, she didn’t touch upon the issues.
The World Cup gamers solely arrived on the match at halftime, once they emerged to look at from the stands.
SAFA additionally didn’t instantly touch upon what sparked the standoff however Thulaganyo Gaoshubelwe, the president of the South African Football Players Union, which represents the pursuits of soccer gamers, mentioned the incident was partly attributable to poor pay for the gamers.
“They are fighting for their rights,” Gaoshubelwe mentioned of the South African gamers in a video posted on his union’s official Twitter account. “SAFA doesn’t want to include money in their contracts. We must fight for the rights of these players.”
Gaoshubelwe, who was standing subsequent to a few of the gamers outdoors the staff lodge within the video, mentioned their complaints had been “dismissed” by SAFA. He was additionally seen in discussions with the gamers and accompanied them to the stadium once they turned up at halftime.
Gaoshubelwe claimed SAFA president Danny Jordaan was responsible for the standoff.
South Africa Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa mentioned in an announcement he could be assembly with the gamers’ union on Tuesday “to hear the serious concerns expressed by the team.”
The assembly could be in regards to the gamers’ “welfare” and points associated to their contracts, Kodwa mentioned.
The squad is because of fly to New Zealand in two teams on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation reported that gamers had been additionally irritated that their farewell sport earlier than the World Cup was held on the Tsakane Stadium, which holds simply 5,000 folks and isn’t a high-profile soccer venue.
The gamers seen that as a mark of disrespect for them from their nationwide soccer affiliation, the SABC reported.
SABC and different tv networks broadcast pictures of the World Cup squad members standing round outdoors their staff bus at a lodge shortly earlier than the sport was as a consequence of kickoff. SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao was seen talking with the gamers.
South Africa gained the Women’s African Cup of Nations final yr for its first main title, but the gamers have typically complained that they aren’t given the popularity or advantages that the lads’s staff will get.
South Africa is because of play Costa Rica in New Zealand on July 15 in its remaining World Cup warm-up sport. South Africa performs Sweden, Argentina and Italy within the group stage on the World Cup, beginning towards the Swedes on July 23.
