The significant costs associated with flying the South African national football team, Bafana Bafana, to away games has been revealed.
Each international fixture, particularly those requiring long-distance travel across the vast African continent, poses a considerable challenge to SAFA’s budget.
SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao recently highlighted these costs, particularly in light of Bafana’s recent private charter flights to South Sudan and Nigeria, with another trip to Congo Brazzaville scheduled for next month. The first leg against Congo is set for October 11th in Gqeberha, followed by the away game just four days later.
HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO FLY BAFANA BAFANA PRIVATE
Monyepao emphasised the unavoidable costs of back-to-back matches. “Some costs that come with having a national team playing back-to-back matches are costs that we as an association can’t bear,” she said.
She explained that private charters are often necessary to ensure the team arrives well-rested and prepared.
“A private charter. How do you take a team from South Africa, Gqeberha, to Brazzaville, [and] ensure that the team arrives two days before kick-off? So they can get a little bit of rest and prepare [on] match day minus one before they participate in the match.”
These charters come with a hefty price tag, varying based on the destination and airline. “When we went to Nigeria, the costs were about R3.5 million. For the charter,” Monyepao revealed. Even shorter distances are costly, with the Bloemfontein to Congo Brazzaville trip costing around R2.5 million, and the upcoming Gqeberha to Congo Brazzaville flight expected to be even more expensive.
To address this financial strain, SAFA is actively seeking support from sponsors and the government. “We’re getting the quotations so we can appeal to our sponsors and government to come on board and assist us to make life easier,” stated Monyepao.
HUGO BROOS’ PRAISE FOR SAFA’S EFFORTS
Bafana coach Hugo Broos expressed his appreciation for SAFA’s decision to arrange a private charter for the Nigeria trip, acknowledging the toll a 20-hour commercial flight with layovers would have taken on the team.
He praised SAFA’s understanding of the game’s importance and the need for comfortable travel arrangements.
Meanwhile, Monyepao also mentioned ongoing discussions with municipalities and provinces beyond Gauteng to host Bafana Bafana matches. Cities like Polokwane, Cape Town, and Mbombela, the home of PSL side TS Galaxy have expressed interest, potentially reducing travel costs in the future.
However, she noted that the cost of transporting the team from Johannesburg to other host cities would still fall on the host association.
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