Former Banyana Banyana Captain Portia Modise says the disrespect of the National Women’s Football team is so deep, sometimes they would play in January and be paid months later…, in June.
Modise is a South African women’s footballer who was named Player of the Championship at the 2006 Women’s African Football Championship… Modise was nicknamed “Bashin” after the male footballer Albert “Bashin” Mahlangu.
She represented the South Africa women’s national football team at the 2012 London Olympics. She became the first African player to score 100 international goals.
The EFF has joined forces with Banyana Banyana to demand that female soccer players receive equal pay for representing South Africa on the biggest stage. The peaceful protest, which took place outside S.A.Football Association HQ.
A list of 10 demands has been handed over to SAFA. Amongst the requests, daily allowances, appearance fees, and potential bonuses must all be brought in line to match the lucrative packages received by Bafana Bafana players.
This comes with an ultimatum – it’s the EFF, that’s their thing: The Red Berets have given the Football Association 30 days to agree to the proposals –& have threatened to shutdown Bafana Bafana fixtures if they fail to do so.
Deputy Secretary-General Poppy Mailola vowed that ‘no men’s internationals’ would take place on their watch, if no action is taken.
Daily Allowance of R5 000 to be paid to players prior to the game – and in dollars where the match is outside SA. Game Bonusof R90 000 must be paid out immediately after the game. Make the pay-out of an appearance fee R50 000.
Banyana players reportedly receive R5 000 per match regardless of whether they win, lose or draw, while Bafana Bafana get R60 000 for a victory & R30 000 for a draw. “If it wasn’t for us being vocal all these years, nobody would know we aren’t being treated fairly”
They demand SAFA organise travel logistics for players to and from their respective homes between matches…Players must be provided with their own personal and private sports gear.
SAFA must initiate the process of establishing a fully-fledged, first-class women’s football league.
That Medical support and compensation of R30 000 should be paid to players injured on the field until full recovery.
Include in their contractual agreements a non-negotiable clause that sponsors must sponsor both national teams.
That Equitable and reasonable compensation must be paid to all Banyana Banyana Legends for the past 20 years… Modise was captain of the South Africa under–19 national team (Basetsane Basetsane) when she was called into the senior squad (Banyana Banyana).
“Women footballers don’t get paid properly, not even at club level. We need to create a platform. Pele didn’t score 100 goals for his country, but I did. He didn’t reach the goals I reached. All this fuss over Cristiano Ronaldo reaching 100 goals – I did the same, but people are ignorant because I’m a woman. Our footballers need to feel free to ask for help.”
“I’m very vocal about issues surrounding women’s football & this opportunity will give me a platform to talk more about that & change people’s perspectives. I want everyone to start respecting women’s football more.”
Modise was born in Soweto (Meadowlands) & started playing football with the boys in her neighbourhood. She chose football ahead of netball at school, & began playing with Soweto Rangers at under–10 level.
After playing for Rangers and the women’s section of Jomo Cosmos, Modise moved to Soweto Ladies in 1996.She has two brothers.
In the 2001–02 regular season, Modise scored 51 goals for Soweto Ladies, adding two more in the 4–0 National Championship final win over Cape Town Pirates.
In 2003 Modise was invited to trials with Arsenal Ladies. A dispute over sponsorship/funding left Modise & compatriots Toni Carelse & Veronica Phewa unable to sign for the English club despite impressing manager Vic Akers during the trials.
In 2005–06 Modise was employed by Orlando Pirates as an academy coach. She left after seven months in February 2006 following a disagreement with her boss Augusto Palacios.
In June 2007 Modise signed a two-year deal with Fortuna Hjørring in Denmark’s Elitedivisionen, after impressing during an initial one-month contract.
In South Africa she represented Orlando Pirates, Jomo Cosmos F.C. and Palace Super Falcons…In 2009, she signed a six-month contract at Palace Super Falcons in South Africa. In 2012, she also played there.
She wasn’t part of the initial training camp for the 2014 African Women’s Championship squad, because she was playing ‘under the radar’ outside of South Africa, in deed for a men’s team.
After the new coach was made aware of her, she switched clubs and played for Croesus Ladies back in South Africa.
“Now we’re seeing sponsors and people contributing to Banyana & that is a good thing. Even at Fifa, I will be telling people about the struggles our women go through in our football. “[My generation] wasn’t able to qualify for the World Cup, but for these girls, what is the excuse?
What will the reason be for not paying them as well as the men?” She is proud of Banyana for breaking into the World Cup for the first time & Desiree Ellis, her former teammate and now Banyana Banyana coach, did well to get the team there.
The versatile Portia’s talent meant she could play as a midfielder or a striker. She was called up to Banyana in 2000 and made her debut in the African Women’s Championships (now the Africa Women Cup of Nations). She would eventually have 124 caps by the time she retired and 101 goals to her name.
“I like to be realistic & to be honest, I’ve played overseas & I know the standards of players from overseas. When I look at the standards here at home they aren’t up to the ones that need to be maintained when competing in a tournament like the World Cup.”
A lack of professional structures in SA is holding the team back from competing on an even keel with the world’s best she says. “We only get proper development or go to camps when we have to compete, but we need to do that every day to maintain a certain standard. So that might cost them a shot at winning.”
Portia was 7 years old when she fell in love with soccer on the streets of White City. Her talents saw her being recruited by the Soweto Rangers’ under-10 team, and later the Jomo Cosmos women’s team and then Soweto Ladies.
Her greatest goal was the one she scored against Sweden at the 2012 Olympics. Although Banyana ended up losing 4-1, finding the back of that net is a moment Portia will cherish forever.
“I’ll never forget that goal. I saw early in the game the goalkeeper’s weakness was that she was always coming off her line, so I took a shot and it came off.
I was really proud,” she says. The most high-profile club she played for was Denmark’s Fortuna Hjørring, where she spent two years before returning home in 2009 to play for Palace Super Falcons.
In October 2014 she made history as her brace against Algeria at the African Women’s Championship saw her become the first African player to breach the 100-goal barrier in international soccer.
When Safa president Danny Jordaan announced Portia’s retirement he called it a sad day for South African soccer. “She was one player who knew how to get the ball in the net.” N OW it’s time to give back to football, Portia says.
“I want to be involved in the development of young upcoming stars because there is nothing as pleasing as planting something and watching it grow – that’s the best gift.” She is in talks with Safa “to create platforms for legends to come back & groom the young current players”.
In the 2000 Women’s African Football Championship, she featured in all South Africa’s games, scoring her first goal against Zimbabwe as well as playing in the tournament final, a defeat to Nigeria which was marred by crowd violence.
In 2005, Modise was one of 2 African footballers, alongside Perpetua Nkwocha, to be nominated for the Women’s FIFA World Player of the Year, which was won by Birgit Prinz… same year, SAFA announced plans to send players to etiquette workshops and supply tighter kit to increase their femininity.
As captain of the national team Modise publicly rejected the proposals and made an outspoken attack on the committee: “We need sponsors but all the committee does is raise less important issues because they have failed to transform the sport.”
At the 2006 Women’s African Football Championship, she scored a goal in the 3rd place final playing for South Africa against Cameroon, & was named Player of the Championship.
She was also voted in the top 3 for the 2006 CAF Women’s Footballer of the Year award, & was selected to play for the All-Stars squad in the match preceding the official draw for the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
In November 2008 Modise announced she would no longer play for South Africa, after a breakdown in her working relationship with coach August Makalakalane.
She was recalled in April 2012 by new national coach Joseph Mkhonza, after Makalakalane had been sacked amidst allegations of sexual harassment and homophobia.
Modise had 71 goals in 92 international caps heading into the 2012 Olympic football tournament… In South Africa’s 1st match, a 4–1 defeat to Sweden, Modise scored a goal from inside the centre circle…the “stunning” goal was applauded by the entire stadium, including the Swedish supporters.
October 2012 saw Modise named in the South African squad for the 2012 African Women’s Championship. It was reported that she could reach her milestone 100th appearance during the tournament, should Banyana Banyana reach the semi-finals.
Modise played a key role in South Africa’s run to the final, where they were beaten by Equatorial Guinea…
In October 2014 Portia Modise became the first African player to reach the elusive 100-goal barrier in international football, when she scored her 99th/100th goals in a 5–1 victory against Algeria at the CAF African Women’s Championship.
In 2011, she appeared in a television documentary which highlighted the plight of lesbians in South Africa, who live in fear of “corrective rape”, violence & murder,”on it she said she did not venture out alone at night: “I know how dangerous it is to live as a black lesbian in South Africa.”
On 19 May 2015, she announced her retirement from international football, after playing 124 matches & scoring 101 goals for South Africa..#Ubuntu #BLM #EFFBanyanaPicket #EqualityISaMust #BlackGirlMagic #Umoja ✊🏾
