Imagine representing your province at the biggest footballing stage – before you potentially turn professional – and not having a decent meal or a place to sleep as you are forced to share a caravan with your teammates? Wow!
This is the sober reality which greeted the Western Cape Sasol League champions UCT Ladies on the eve of the national playoffs campaign in Knysna’s Eden region.
The playoff campaign started on Monday already but UCT only kick off their campaign against Ezemvelo from KZN on Wednesday.
But the drama between Saturday and today surely made the situation in Knysna untenable and even reached a breakpoint for the university side.
How it will affect the Western Cape champions ahead of their first game against the champs of KZN on Wednesday, is anyone’s guess.
To think the UCT Ladies was sent from pillar to post just hours ahead of their first game as they had no accommodation secured for the team. The players had to return to the caravan park where they were sheltered as no hotel was apparently available for them and no proper meal.
The communication to No Bones with Jones was that things were so bad that the mayor of Knysna needed to intervene and to make sure that the players at least had something to eat. But the others had to hustle to get a proper meal.
Bear in mind, Safa WC invited UCT Ladies to leave a couple of days earlier so that they can ”acclimatise” – in theory it sounded like a brilliant gesture but the move backfired as unfortunately as nothing was apparently confirmed and booked.
When our website reached out to the Safa WC’s chairman Tankiso Modipa to shed some light onto the chaos that played out, he replied: ”I don’t run a club, I run the province.”
I think it is really rich of the province’s football boss to say he doesn’t run the clubs, but he extended the invite to UCT Ladies and as far as I’m concerned, they become his responsibility as his guest – after all it is your champion that’s representing your province.
A question that also needs some answering is why the province and the region didn’t do more collectively to help secure a closer venue for the playoffs instead of a six hour drive.
A venue like the Cape Winelands would have been an ideal – imagine the boost the grassroots and amateur levels would have received? But this is a story for another day.
One must also take into consideration that Safa National issues the host something in the region of R100 000 to make the necessary arrangements for the playoffs.
No Bones with Jones were also informed that Earon Isaacs, one of UCT’s seasoned campaigners fell ill and started to throw up as the situation has just become too much for some players.
There are understandably fears of emotional fatigue and that the players will not get enough rest for the opening fixture on Wednesday.
Earon’s mom, Sharon Isaacs, says this is a massive embarrassment but this situation has played itself out over the years and that this is nothing new.
Sharon shared some of the hardships the players had to endure thus far and explained to No Bones with Jones: “They have been getting breakfast ingredients at 11am and told to make their own food. The bus Safa provided keeps breaking down and then the players must push the bus.
”Today they went to check into the hotel because this is what they were told. When they got there they were told that they cannot check in because they didn’t receive payment yet. Then they went back to the caravan park.
”When they got to the park, they were told that they would not be accommodated there either because their bill was not settled when they checked out. The captain then called Safa president, and payment was made so they checked in.
“They had to return to the hotel to attend a workshop. At 8.30pm they had not eaten supper yet. They had to buy their own lunch this afternoon as well. Where is the support from the province,” Sharon asked rhetorically.
Needless to say, UCT already suffered an early setback when their coaching staff of Ahmed Park (head coach), Shaquille Williams (assistant coach) and Mark Kapman (goalkeeper coach) were all involved in an accident on route to Knysna on Saturday evening – and now this drama playing out on the eve of their opening game of the playoffs.
Mind you, there is so much at stake especially after they fell short in Bloemfontein last season.
