Silence from SAFA as CHAN squad awaits outstanding fees

According to information gathered, payment figures were agreed before the tournament – co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda – kicked off in early August, but despite those arrangements, none of the players have received what is due to them. 

Multiple attempts by the public broadcaster to obtain comment from SAFA chief executive officer Lydia Monyepao have been unsuccessful. 

Bafana competed in Group C alongside hosts Uganda, Niger, Guinea and Algeria, with Molefi Ntseki, now serving as SAFA’s technical director, then at the helm of a 25-man squad largely made up of free agents.

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South Africa exited the competition on the final day of the group stage, conceding late in a dramatic 3-3 draw against co-hosts Uganda, which denied them a place in the quarterfinals. 

Upon their return, the squad believed payments would be processed soon after CAF settled its disbursements with SAFA.  

While CAF transactions are not immediate, they do not typically stretch to a three-month delay, and several players, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal, told SABC Sport they are led to understand that SAFA has already received the funds.  

Their attempts to secure updates or timelines for payment, however, have been met with silence, leaving them frustrated and uncertain about when the matter will be resolved.