The South African women’s national soccer team, Banyana Banyana, are in tears not because they won or lost to Nigeria on Friday but because they are not being recognised for their contribution to the sport.
This week, as the team were preparing to beat the Nigerians for the first time, they were also wondering whether it would lead to their biggest pay cheque to date.
The Banyana Banyana players take home a stipend of between R300 and R500 a day — money that is not enough to raise a family when one is a breadwinner, or to buy clothing or to pay for an education.
Most of the women who play soccer in this country for their various teams earn less than South Africa’s pensioners do. The women recently asked the South African Football Association (Safa) for a pay increase. Whether this will amount to anything, we will have to wait and see. It is the first time that Banyana Banyana have raised the issue of low wages when they represent the country.
The only thing Safa’s Albert Mokoena could say was that the association would look into the issue. But it seems to have finally dawned on Banyana Banyana that the men’s team tend to cry about salaries just before a big game.
It would be wrong for me to say Banyana Banyana should lose to Nigeria, as that would be unpatriotic, but one has to shed a tear or two for these women who play tirelessly for the national team for just a stipend.
For the women in the team, I say good luck to you. Use this opportunity to beat Nigeria and qualify for the Olympics in Athens, Greece, in order to showcase your skills to the world and hope soccer scouts from Europe come knocking on your door to sign you.
It would be great for our soccer women to qualify for Athens while beating their nemesis en route.
But one more thing needs to happen to make women’s soccer develop to great heights: a national women’s soccer league needs to be introduced, with a sponsor.
To Banyana Banyana, I repeat: it is now or never to beat Nigeria. This could be the key to opening all doors for other women in soccer.
Show Safa’s suit-wearing administrators that you deserve a big pay day and that you are the only South African team that have been shining through the mist of disappointments in sport.
Make sure that on March 28, after your second-leg game against Nigeria, you come back as winners who go through to the Olympics, not only to learn but to win games and also give support to another women’s team that has been doing well — the hockey team.
May this be the year of the women. Sorry the column came late to you, readers; I missed the deadline of International Women’s Day, but I think women should be recognised all year round.