The national women's soccer team will be given as much support in the build-up to their London Olympic campaign as the men's side got ahead of the 2010 World Cup, according to the SA Football Association (Safa).
“Just like we did to Bafana Bafana in the lead up to the 2010 (World Cup) , we as Safa are going to go out of our way to make sure we give our girls all the support they need,” acting Safa president Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana said on Thursday.
“We would also like to commend the only woman in the national executive committee of Safa, Nomsa Mahlangu, who is also the chairperson for the women's football committee, and her committee for having overseen the administration of women's football and producing the only South African soccer team to represent the country at the London Olympics.
“In line with our transformation agenda, and in keeping with the spirit of the national government's agenda to affirm women, we want to treat our senior women's national soccer team the same way we did to Bafana Bafana ahead of the 2010 World Cup.”
Banyana Banyana leave on Friday for a three-week training camp in Brazil.
They will then head to Cyprus to play an international tournament where they have been drawn against South Korea, New Zealand and Northern Ireland.
There was reportedly tension in the Banyana camp after Safa took nearly six months to pay the players R500,00 in bonuses for qualifying for the London Games.
The bonuses, however, were paid in January and coach Joseph Mkhonza said earlier in the week the team were ready to begin final preparations for their Olympic debut.
“Everyone in camp is in good spirits, working hard towards giving a good showing at the Olympics,” Mkhonza said. –Sapa