Former Banyana Banyana captain Amanda Dlamini believes that the South African Football Association (SAFA) has a responsibility to rebuild its credibility in order to help revive its long standing partnership with Sasol.
This after the leading energy company released an official statement to confirm that their 16-year sponsorship agreement with SAFA came to end last month.
Sasol has been the long standing sponsor for the lower division programme - the Sasol League and for the national team.
In an exclusive interview with SABC Sport, Dlamini praised Sasol for their contribution to help create a proactive pathway for women’s football in the country.
“It starts with leadership taking accountability. For too long, players have had to fight for wages before, during, and after tournaments, and every hard-won achievement has felt diminished by the lack of institutional progress.
“We need to rebuild the credibility of the association [SAFA] so that sponsors can once again feel confident investing in women’s football. We’re at the height of the women’s game globally and this is the perfect moment for an evolution, a new era of doing things differently and ensuring all stakeholders have a voice in shaping the future. I praise Sasol for their progressive contribution to Women’s football in South Africa ’’ said Dlamini.
As it stands Sasol has communicated terms to the SA football mother body for a possible contract renewal.
Dlamini explains what this means for Banyana Banyana players who are currently in Morocco to defend their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
“It will undoubtedly weigh heavily on the players, especially senior members of the team who have directly experienced the impact Sasol has had on their careers. The league gave them a platform to play, opportunities for promotion, talent identification, and exposure to international competition.
“That said, these players have faced and overcome even tougher circumstances in the past. While it’s not something to glorify, their resilience and unity as a team will carry them forward. At the end of the day, they remain focused on one mission - defending their WAFCON title,’’ added Dlamini.
Dlamini further explains how they benefited from the Sasol football programmes as former footballers.
“For us, the partnership represented the breaking of barriers. We saw the introduction of structured football pathways, professional talent identification processes, and finally, kits tailored specifically for women at National team level. We began receiving incentives we felt we deserved, and we were exposed to international tournaments like the Cyprus Cup, which elevated the standard of the national team.
“Domestically, the league became highly competitive, with a well-oiled conveyor belt promoting young talent from every corner of the country. Personally, I valued the holistic approach Sasol brought, which included media training, to help understand the responsibility of representing the badge, and the integrity we carried during school and community engagements,” she expressed.
Issued on SABC Sport by Mpumi Manyisi | https://www.sabcsport.com/soccer/news/amanda-dlamini-safa-will-have-to-rebuild-organisational-credibility-to-revive-partnership-with-sasol
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