Banyana Banyana legend Portia Modise has called on coach Desiree Ellis to maak die nommer vol and stand bankvas behind her team in their fight with the South African Football Association (Safa).
Banyana boycotted Sunday’s World Cup send-off match against Botswana in Brakpan, citing a poor venue and a swak opponent and thereby forcing Safa to send in a makeshift team to face Botswana.
Playing with a 13-year-old in her span, coach Desiree Ellis’s team got a 5-0 pak slae, while the regte span watched from the stands.
1️⃣8️⃣ days to go the @FIFAWWC 🏆⚽️
— Banyana_Banyana (@Banyana_Banyana) July 3, 2023
2️⃣1️⃣ days to go until the African Champions play their opening match!!
🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>💚![CDATA[]]>💛#LiveTheImpossible #RoadToTheFIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/oy5OaAKjaP
The bigger issue behind Banyana’s protest is to do with geldsake, with each player reportedly guaranteed R565 000 from Fifa for the World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.
The players, though, are dikbek because they are not getting any geld from Safa and are reportedly demanding R395 876 per player from the governing body to represent South Africa at the tournament.
That would bring the tally to just under R1m for the tournament.
And Banyana’s all-time leading goal-scorer Modise is telling coach Ellis not to sak hulle vlag, as they get ready to leave for the Land of the Long White Cloud on Wednesday.
Modise says in a video Twitter post: “My girls, it’s about teamwork. It’s time to stand tall.Tell the truth, so the country can help.
“[Coach] Des, I never had a problem with you, but it’s time to stand up.
Fellow South Africans its time to show up for our @Banyana_Banyana ladies.
— PortiaBashinModise (@modiseportia12) July 3, 2023
Let us all show them love and support as they preparing to represent our country in the Women's World Cup 2023. pic.twitter.com/mrHvaC28mk
“Don’t betray your players. Show them your loyalty. They have been giving you trophies, they have given you loyalty.”
With pressure from the South African Football Players’ Union, Safa CEO Lydia Monyepao, meanwhile, says they are hoping to reach an agreement with the players before they leave.
She tells SABC Sport: “We asked them for amendments to the contract, I only received their [players] proposed amendments on Saturday morning.
“So we haven’t had time to engage on that contract and we have not asked anyone to sign that contract until we engage on it and reach an agreement.”