‘Every time we go to a major tournament, we have to fight about money, we have to fight about basically everything,’ said the Banyana forward.
Retired Banyana Banyana striker Jermaine Seoposenwe has slammed the South African Football Association in explaining her reasons for walking away from the international game at just 31 years of age.
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Seoposenwe’s last game for Banyana came in the third-place play-off penalty shootout loss to Ghana at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco on July 25.
Banyana players’ strikes
And she told Robert Marawa on 94.7FM on Wednesday that constantly having to fight with Safa for recognition had worn her down.
Banyana’s players went on strike ahead of the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup in a bonus row with Safa. And they again went on striker before the recent WAFCON, over unpaid match appearance fees.
“I just want to love football … don’t want to be unhappy … don’t want to continue to struggle for things that, as a national team player, you deserve,” said Seoposenwe, who played for Banyana for 15 years, earning over 100 caps.
“I know what I can bring to the national team, but it’s best that I walk away.
“The treatment, every time we go to a major tournament, we have to fight about money, we have to fight about basically everything … why do we have to fight?,” she continued.
“Why can’t you plan for the year? Fifa gives you a calendar, why don’t you budget?”
The Banyana forward even said the players were even on strike before her final game against Ghana, and that they went to the stadium late.
“It becomes difficult to do your job to the best of your ability. The country expects us to do these amazing things, but they don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes.”
Despite their success in winning the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and reaching the last 16 of the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup, Banyana have struggled to get new sponsors.
‘Not celebrated enough’
And it has now been reported by SABC News that Banyana’s 16 year partnership with Sasol is coming to an end, after the global chemicals and energy company failed to reach an agreement with Safa.
Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis has also reportedly been working without a contract for some time.
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“I’m talking about Banyana as a whole, I think this team is not celebrated enough for their achievements. I think with everything that this team has done on the field, there’s no sponsors coming in, all of those things. I think they need to be celebrated more, they need more recognition, they deserve more because of that,” Ellis told Radio 2000.