Baroka FC head coach Dan Malesela believes that Banyana Banyana have not received adequate support from the country during the ongoing WAFCON tournament in Morocco.
The team, coached by Desiree Ellis, was eliminated from the tournament by Nigeria in the semi-finals and will now compete for third place against Ghana on Friday.
Malesela expressed his concerns through KickOff, saying, "I'm speaking from a parent's perspective. How would I feel if it were my daughter facing tackles and qualifying a nation for WAFCON, only to complain about financial issues and poor treatment? Why are we treating our children like this?"
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He questioned, "Is it because we do not respect footballers and see them as just a group of people wearing shorts? Most footballers come from struggling and impoverished backgrounds.
"Imagine if I broke my foot from a career-ending tackle while my whole family depended on me. Our country has the resources for these girls to not have to struggle. The government can intervene, and there are people with money in this country who should help these young women if SAFA is failing them."
Malesela noted the team's lack of enthusiasm, stating, "You could tell from a distance that these girls approach yesterday's match half-heartedly. But not many people seem to care because we are not patriotic enough."
He added, "The next thing we will do is cheer for them at the airport for reaching the semi-finals, but what does that really do for their lives?"
He also mentioned Desiree Ellis, saying, "In another country, she could have been very well off financially by now, but currently, she is not. Why are we turning a blind eye to these issues? This is a serious concern for me."
Malesela observed, "From the start of yesterday's match, it seemed likely we would lose. Unfortunately, it turned out that way. It wasn't because the girls were tired, but rather because of fate.
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"Had these girls been happy, they likely would have performed much better. Only God knows what held them back yesterday because they appeared so joyful in the previous matches. What changed after qualifying for the semi-finals?"
He criticized the criticism players face for demanding bonuses, saying, "People often complain when players ask for money, but if we don't demand compensation, what are we working for? Why would you risk your life on the field when someone could easily get injured?"
"This notion that we must play for the country and the flag must come to an end. People are getting rich playing football in Europe, while in Africa, players are expected to play for pride. We need to pay people what they deserve.
"You can't tell us as a country that 'I'm not here to make people rich.' If that's the case, then why are you in this business in the first place? If you are a player, at home, families watch you on TV playing football and assume you are wealthy."
Photo by Mansa Ayoola/Gallo Images
