Is South Africa playing in FIFA Women's World Cup 2023? Explaining pay dispute between players and federation
As the countdown to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup continues, teams from across the world are making their final preparations for the tournament.
However, frustrations over delayed broadcast agreements and fair pay has played a role in multiple teams warmup camps, as FIFA and national federations have come in for major criticism.
South Africa are on the list of teams facing a player revolt ahead of the competition due to continued concerns over the lack of talks on pay and planning.
The South African FA (SAFA) are expected to continue to work on the issues but the clock is ticking for both parties.
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South Africa are set to play in the competition. They qualified by winning the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, where the four semi-finalists were also granted entry into the biggest tournament in the game.
They made their first ever World Cup appearance in 2019, and this time around they have been drawn in Group G, alongside Italy, Sweden and Argentina.
The ongoing standoff between members of the South Africa World Cup squad and the SAFA was catapulted to worldwide attention ahead of their final pre-tournament friendly against Botswana.
In an incredible show of team unity, the entire squad refused to play in Johannesburg, with the SAFA forced to pull together a team of locally-based players, including a 13-year-old.
A 5-0 loss to Botswana was the least of head coach Desiree Ellis' problems at full-time, with her squad watching from the stands at the Tsakane Stadium.
The players union representative, president Thulaganyo Gaoshubelwe, claimed the rolling row focused on the SAFA's refusal to discuss pay with the players.
A standoff between #SouthAfrica’s Women’s
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