The South African Football Association (Safa) president, Danny Jordaan, was evasive when asked about the prize money the Bafana Bafana players would receive for their third-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast.
Despite exceeding expectations and beating the Democratic Republic of Congo in a penalty shootout, the players’ reward remained uncertain. As Bafana Bafana returned to South Africa at OR Tambo International in Johannesburg, a large crowd eagerly awaited their arrival.
The players were led out by SA Minister of Sport and Recreation, Zizi Kodwa, followed by Jordaan and other Safa staff. During a press conference after their return, Jordaan was questioned about the players’ earnings but was unable to provide a definitive answer.
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“We don’t know. We must wait on Caf [Confederation of African Football]. The tournament ended yesterday,” Jordaan explained. “Caf will inform us. The players are aware of what they have agreed upon.
“You should ask them. It is a matter that needs to be discussed and finalized with the players first. They will then decide whether or not to disclose the information to the public. However, their efforts will certainly be rewarded.”
Julius Malema, the president of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), criticized Jordaan for avoiding the issue. Malema emphasized the importance of transparency, stating that the players’ earnings should be publicly disclosed to prevent any potential discrepancies.
“You must have a sense of occasion. The fact that Danny must go remains. He needs to go,” Malema asserted. “But for now, we want to focus on celebrating Bafana Bafana and not spoil the celebration with the politics of football.
“However, being here and listening to Danny does not make him a good leader if he cannot respond to simple questions about the players’ earnings. We must know publicly whether or not they received their money.”
Malema highlighted Caf president Patrice Motsepe as more transparent about sensitive financial matters. He praised Motsepe for publicly announcing the allocation of funds and the amount each player would receive.
“If it is communicated privately, instead of each player receiving R1 million, they might only get R500,000, and they can argue that they never promised R1 million. We will never know,” Malema explained. “Patrice Motsepe handles it differently. He announces the distribution of funds and specifies how much each player will receive.”
Malema concluded by expressing the need for significant changes in the leadership of Safa, emphasizing the importance of transparency and accountability.
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