Six-month wait over as SAFA settles CHAN debts with Bafana players

The South African Football Association (SAFA) has finally moved to settle the long-standing bonus dispute with the Bafana Bafana squad that participated in the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

After a six-month wait characterised by administrative delays and growing player frustration, the association processed payments last week for the tournament held in East Africa last August.

Six Months of Uncertainty For Bafana Players

Each member of the squad was reportedly owed approximately R100,000 in appearance fees and performance bonuses. Despite a group-stage exit in Kampala—where South Africa recorded a victory over Guinea and draws against Algeria, Niger, and hosts Uganda—the players had met the necessary triggers for payment.

While SAFA had previously acknowledged the debt, the lack of a clear payment timeline had strained the relationship between the association and the national team players.

CHAN Players Confirm Payment

Three players, speaking to this publication on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the funds reflected in their bank accounts over the last few days.

“Yes, we have finally been paid,” one squad member confirmed to FARPost. “It took much longer than anyone expected, but there is a sense of relief that the matter is now behind us.”

The resolution of these payments comes as the CHAN tournament itself reaches the end of the road. CAF President Patrice Motsepe recently confirmed that the competition, which was reserved for domestic-based players, will be scrapped in favour of the new African Nations League.

“The first thing I was asked to do as CAF president was to kill the CHAN,” Motsepe stated, explaining that the new Nations League format would better serve member associations while creating an “AFCON-like” atmosphere annually.

For the Bafana Bafana CHAN class of 2024, the receipt of these bonuses marks the final chapter of a tournament that will now vanish from the continental calendar.