South Africa’s senior women’s national football team, Banyana Banyana, have staged a sit-in protest in Morocco, refusing to take part in scheduled training sessions over unpaid allowances from the South African Football Association.
The reigning Women’s Africa Cup of Nations champions touched down in Morocco on Wednesday ahead of the tournament’s kickoff on July 5, 2025. But unrest quickly followed.
On Friday, the players boycotted their second training session in protest, citing unpaid salaries for their April and June preparatory camps.
These sessions were part of head coach Desiree Ellis’ build-up to the tournament.
According to reports from the South African Broadcasting Corporation, the players’ grievances have been directed at SAFA, which is accused of failing to fulfill its financial obligations.
In an attempt to address the situation, Head of Delegation Thabile Msomi met with the squad on Thursday and assured them the issue had been escalated to SAFA President Danny Jordaan. Still, uncertainty looms, as the players await a formal response.
“We had no formal meeting with SAFA today or even prior to camp,” one of the players, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of backlash, told reporters. “When we sought a meeting with the CEO, they simply said she was unavailable. The excuse given for the CFO/COO was that they were tired from an NEC meeting.”
Despite the assurances, the players have yet to receive clarity or payment, leaving their preparations in jeopardy just days before the tournament opener.