Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ A foundation established by Patrice Motsepe, the president of African soccer and a billionaire businessman, has stepped in to resolve a payment dispute between South Africa’s Women’s World Cup players and their national association. This intervention ensures that the players will be able to participate in the upcoming tournament in Australia and New Zealand. The dispute resulted in the entire squad boycotting a game, causing embarrassment for the South African soccer association and the country’s bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup. It also shed light on the ongoing issue of pay inequality between male and female soccer players.
Acknowledging the significant global pay gap between men and women in soccer, South African soccer association president Danny Jordaan admitted that more needed to be done to address the disparity. To resolve the issue in South Africa, the Motsepe Foundation has provided $320,000 to be divided among the 23 players heading to the Women’s World Cup. This financial support has successfully ended the standoff and enabled the players to travel to New Zealand in two groups.
In addition to the foundation’s contribution, each player will also receive $30,000 in appearance money from FIFA. However, the dispute was not solely about the monetary aspect. The players’ union representing their interests highlighted the lack of proper contracts and written agreements specifying their remuneration for representing their country at the World Cup.
The players were further frustrated by the decision to hold their sendoff game at a small, lesser-known stadium outside Johannesburg, which was deemed unsuitable for men’s league soccer matches. This choice of venue added to their dissatisfaction with the treatment they received as reigning African champions.
The players’ collective discontent led to their boycott of the game against Botswana, resulting in officials fielding a makeshift team that included a 13-year-old girl. The team, which barely resembled the national squad, suffered a 5-0 defeat.
South Africa’s mistreatment of its women players came to the forefront last year when former national captain Portia Modise, a nominee for FIFA’s world player of the year award in 2005, revealed that she was sometimes paid as little as $20 per game. Modise spoke about the challenging living conditions she experienced while playing for the national team.
In conclusion, the involvement of the Motsepe Foundation has resolved the pay dispute and ensured the South African Women’s World Cup players can participate in the tournament. This development sheds light on the broader issue of pay inequality in women’s soccer and draws attention to other grievances, including the lack of proper contracts and inadequate treatment of the women’s team. The resolution of the dispute marks a step towards addressing these concerns and improving the overall treatment of women players in South African soccer.
