Johannesburg - Minister of Sports and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula, on Saturday presented the SA Football Association (Safa) with two cheques worth R220 000 for outstanding performances by the body’s youth teams.
South Africa’s under-17 and under-20 teams each received R110 000 for qualifying for their respective African Youth Championship tournaments next year.
The national under-20s (Amajita) beat Cameroon over two legs, while the under-17s (Amajimbos) successfully qualified by beating Egypt home and away.
“I come this morning baring two presents, which are monetary,” Mbalula said at Safa’s 24th annual general congress in Johannesburg.
“These are the presents to our youth in Safa. Players who play for the under-17s and the under-20s are the future Bafana players.
“I came to the congress a happy man.”
South Africa’s women’s team, Banyana Banyana, are currently in Namibia ahead of the African Women’s Championship, where the top three teams will qualify for next year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup in Canada.
Mbalula said he would reward the women’s team, should they qualify for the World Cup.
Meanwhile, the national senior team, Bafana Bafana, are in Congo-Brazzaville ahead of their 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Saturday afternoon.
Should Banyana and Bafana qualify for their respective tournaments, the country will have all four national teams successfully taking part in major competitions next year.
Sapa