Sundowns Ladies to share R1m for Caf victory

The players and technical staff of the Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies side will share the R1m windfall received from sports minister Nathi Mthethwa for winning the Caf Women’s Champions League.

Mthethwa rewarded the team as part of the department’s Recognition of Excellence programme that applauds outstanding achievements by SA teams and individuals.

Sundowns Ladies made history when they won the inaugural Caf Women’s Champions League after their 2-0 win over Hasaacas Ladies of Ghana at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo in November. 

“We always make sure our players and technical team are compensated for their efforts and their sacrifices. There is a way how money is divided,” said Sundowns chair Thlopie Motsepe.

Motsepe declined to explain how much each player and the coaches would earn.

“As a football club, we always make sure we create an environment where they can grow and achieve things. When you start mentioning how much money gets given to footballers, the foundation of things sometimes gets undermined.

“We always respect money and make sure we don’t put it in the media. You must remember the kind of country we live in. You don’t want to start throwing numbers when there are high levels of inequality in our country.

“I can assure that we have rewarded them for what they did and Hollywoodbets has also rewarded them for what they did,” added Motsepe.

Mthethwa said Sundowns Ladies did the country proud.

“Sport also has the power to lift people in times of turmoil. The example of the Miracle on Ice in the US came at a time when tensions were high in the Cold War between the US and the USSR.

“SA’s 1995 Rugby World Cup victory added impetus in our efforts to heal from decades of apartheid.”