Bafana Bafana 2024 CHAN captain Neo Maema says they are yet to have their bonuses paid by SAFA, six months after the tournament was staged in East Africa.
South Africa took part at 2024 edition of the tournament which, however, took place in August 2025 with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda co-hosting. After narrowly failing to get out of the group stage, Bafana headed back home having played four games in their pool which had five teams.
Under the tutelage of former Kaizer Chiefs coach Molefi Ntseki, they finished third in Group C after beating Guinea and drawing with co-hosts Uganda, Algeria and bottom-placed Niger.
Ntseki assembled a squad mainly composed of players who were clubless, but had in his armoury experienced players. They included skipper Maema, Keagan Dolly, Ramahlwe Mphahlele, Terrence Mashego, Wayde Jooste, Kwanda Mngonyama, Thabiso Kutumela, Menzi Masuku, Zakhele Lepasa and Fortune Makaringe.
As previously reported by FARPost, each player was due to be paid approximately R100,000. But nothing has been delivered to the players, six months later.
MAEMA CLAIMS DECEMBER PROMISES WERE NEVER KEPT
“Yeah, they haven’t paid and from me being the captain, I can say, testify that they haven’t paid. By the look of things, that’s how it went, that’s the situation we’re in right now,” Maema said on Sports Night Amplified with Andile on Metro FM.
“They have been promising us and they haven’t delivered ever since. They got the money from CAF in October to be precise and they promised to pay us before December.
“That was the reason and agreement that we also gave them that we have to have the money at least for December.”
SAFA chief executive officer, Lydia Monyepao, was unavailable after being contacted by FARPost to give the local football governing body’s side of the story.
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