Pretoria - South African Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan said the achievement of the CAF Africa Women's Cup of Nations champions Banyana Banyana was unprecedented in the history of the country.
Jordaan said that in the midst of the joy, it had to be realised that the issue regarding the inequality in the remuneration between men and women in sports was a battle plaguing not just football in Africa, but globally in all codes.
According to Jordaan, the root cause of the prize money disparities between women and men went back to the commercial environment around women’s sports.
Jordaan led Banyana Banyana back home after the national women’s football team claimed gold at the tournament in Morocco, defeating the home nation 2-1 in the process. South Africans gathered at the OR Tambo International Airport in large numbers to welcome the champions yesterday.
The Wafcon winners #BanyanaBanyana on stage at OR Tambo with their trophy after arriving back. @Banyana_Banyana @IOL pic.twitter.com/dzNS9tGZ4p
— Pretoria News (@pretorianews) July 26, 2022
He said the Fifa World Cup was a “world cup for men” while the “women’s cup” had a gender insertion to distinguish between the two.
Moving forward to 2030, he said he hoped there would be more parity in sporting competitions and they would ensure distinction was made between the Fifa Men’s World Cup and the Fifa Women’s World Cup.
The second issue he said that needed to be addressed was the burning question of the prize money.
He said when Spain won the World Cup in South African in 2010, that country received $30 million. He added that in 2018 France had received $40m.
Jordaan said in South Africa alone, men received a broadcast revenue ranging from R2.8 billion, R1.4bn and R600bn, while Banyana Banyana received absolutely nothing.
“Banyana matches have no value and these are the issues we have to address.
“I have spoken to the minister and we said we would meet with the government as soon as possible as this is not a Fifa, CAF or Safa creation, and anyone who says that is misleading the nation.
“It is a societal creation, and therefore we must work together to address this disparity between men and women in sport.”
He said even though Sierra Leone was the first African country to pay men and women the same after an agreement was reached by the government and the football authority of that country, followed by Brazil, Norway and England; it was now time for South Africa to join them.
Hundreds of fans await the arrival of #BanyanaBanyana at OR Tambo airport after their #Wafcon triumph over Morocco. #BanyanaBanyanaVictory #WAFCON2022 #WAFCONFinal @IOL pic.twitter.com/l6IhOQubyY
— Pretoria News (@pretorianews) July 26, 2022
Jordaan assured fans and the team that they would meet with the national executive to address the question of remuneration and bonuses.
“We will call you again when I and the minister sign the agreement and we will announce to you the official moment that Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana will be paid the same.”
Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa, in addressing the jubilant crowd at the airport, said many people did not know that the journey to see Banyana Banyana at the top did not start with this win.
“We didn’t start supporting the team today, but in fact, the government gave R2m to form the league and it is producing today. We have been going through this journey together with the team and fans all over.
“Many people did not see Banyana Banyana winning the Cosafa Cup last year, but as the government, we were there and we incentivised them.”
Despite the minister’s best efforts to assure fans that the government would continue supporting the women’s sporting team financially and otherwise, fans kept chanting for the players to be paid.
“What (Danny) Jordaan is talking about regarding pay parity is a process which we have finished in all the provinces in ensuring that women are paid equal.”
Pretoria News