No friendlies for ‘broke’ Banyana

Limited funding is threatening Banyana Banyana’s preparations for the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

City Press has established that coach Vera Pauw is frustrated at the team not getting enough high-profile practice matches, with only five months to go before the Games.

Safa this week released a fixture list detailing the activities of its national teams this month, but there is nothing for Rio-bound Banyana (see box.)

Safa has secured a friendly for the sponsorless SA Under-23 men’s team. They face Olympic hosts Brazil in South America on March 27.

Banyana had a proposed friendly against Cameroon scheduled for Wednesday, but the fixture was called off as a result of funding coming in too late, according to Pauw.

Although she played down her displeasure, the Banyana tactician told City Press on Friday that “we desperately need friendlies, but funding is the issue”.

“We are not saying we are being pushed to the back, because other national teams are experiencing the same. The president [Danny Jordaan] and the CEO [Dennis Mumble] said in the press that Safa can’t carry all the costs for the two Olympic teams [Banyana and the Under-23s].”

Pauw said – without elaborating – that they were seeking financial aid through other fundraising means.

“Speak to the CEO on that one.”

Attempts to reach Mumble were in vain but Safa responded through spokesperson Dominic Chimhavi.

“[Banyana] get limited funding – not enough to cover all the needs. We are trying to source extra funding,” he said yesterday when asked if team sponsors Sasol were not providing enough financial aid.

The firm, which sponsors the team in an undisclosed deal that expires next year, gave players a R500 000 bonus for qualifying for Rio, an amount that was matched by Safa.

Chimhavi said Banyana’s friendly against Cameroon was never scheduled.

Pauw said: “We are in camp every week and players need game time. We need at least four big games before the Olympics.”

She fancies a warm-up match against reigning Olympic champions USA in July.

“If we don’t draw USA [for the Olympic tournament], they have an open slot on July 9. But we must first sort out the funds.”

The draw for the Olympic men’s and women’s football competition will be conducted in Rio next month.

Banyana last played competitively in October, beating Equatorial Guinea to qualify for the Olympics.

The SA women’s team, which is ranked fifth in Africa and 56th in the world, will face the winner between Botswana and Mauritius in the second round of African Women’s Championship qualifiers next month.

Meanwhile, there are still three berths up for grabs to complete the 12-team line up for the women’s tournament in Rio.

Holland, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland are seeking to secure Europe’s remaining spot via a mini qualifying tournament that ends in the Netherlands on Wednesday.

Similarly, the Asia qualifying tournament ends in Japan on Wednesday to determine the continent’s two representatives.

The Olympic football competition runs from August 3 to 20.