The chaos rocking the Banyana Banyana camp worsened on Sunday when the team bound for the 2023 Fifa World Cup boycotted the international friendly match against Botswana.
Local football governing body Safa was forced to summon a hastily assembled 14-member squad that was walloped 5-0 before a packed Tsakane Stadium.
Three players sat on the bench and there was no substitute goalkeeper, while coach Desiree Ellis cut a forlorn figure in her technical area.
She just sat on the bench and never stood up to issue instructions for the entire match.
Apart from the World Cup group protesting against a substandard pitch at Tsakane and the calibre of opposition offered by Botswana, it has emerged there is an additional standoff between Safa and the players.
Safa insiders told Scrolla.Africa the two parties are yet to reach an agreement on the amount they will be paid for participating at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Some reports suggest the players were threatened with expulsion from camp, but they did not budge.
The South African Football Players Union has now stepped in, ramping up pressure on Safa to meet the players’ demands. “This is a sad day,” said Bafana Bafana legend Doctor Khumalo on SABC Sport.
“How can we do this to coach Desiree and the 23 girls who committed themselves to represent South Africa at the World Cup?
“It’s sad. It’s a shame and a disgrace and also reflects on Bafana Bafana.”
The World Cup players went to Tsakane to watch the hurriedly picked team in action, but when they arrived at the stadium, they were holed up in the tunnel and denied access to the VIP enclosure.
They were finally allowed to proceed to the terraces in the second half.
On Saturday, Banyana players refused to train at the ground, arguing that the uneven pitch posed a serious injury risk.
Tsakane is banned from hosting Premier Soccer League matches as it does not meet the required standards to stage professional matches.
It was a chaotic afternoon on Sunday which saw kickoff being delayed by an hour as Safa struggled to assemble a team which eventually arrived at the match venue at 2.45 pm.
Some of the players who accepted the last-minute call-ups were involved in club action on Saturday and were subjected to another taxing match within 24 hours.
Safa spokesperson Mninawa Ntloko was unavailable for comment on the bonus issue.