World Cup: 13-year-old called up after SA players boycott Botswana friendly

Officials were forced to field a makeshift team of littleknown players that included a 13yearold for a game against Botswana after a pay dispute between South Africas Womens World Cup squad and the national soccer associationThe game on Sunday was supposed to be the final warmup match for the African womens champion on home soil before it headed off to the Womens World Cup in Australia and New Zealand but it turned into an embarrassment on and off the field as the entire World Cup squad sat out the gameSouth Africas team of replacement players hastily pulled together from local clubs lost 50 to Botswana at the Tsakane Stadium near Johannesburg They were 40 down at halftime in a game that was delayed for an hour at the request of the South African Football Association SAFA so it could scramble and put together a teamSouth Africa coach Desiree Ellis said one of the players she had to draft in was aged 13 In a postmatch interview she didnt comment on the problemsAlso Read FIFA agrees to European TV deal for Womens World Cup ends standoff with broadcastersThe World Cup players only arrived at the match at halftime when they emerged to watch from the standsSAFA also didnt immediately comment on what sparked the standoff but Thulaganyo Gaoshubelwe the president of the South African Football Players Union which represents the interests of soccer players said the incident was partly caused by poor pay for the playersThey are fighting for their rights Gaoshubelwe said of the South African players in a video posted on his unions official Twitter account SAFA doesnt want to include money in their contracts We must fight for the rights of these playersSouth Africa Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa said in a statement he would be meeting with the players union on Tuesday to hear the serious concerns expressed by the teamThe meeting would be about the players welfare and issues related to their contracts Kodwa saidThe squad is due to fly to New Zealand in two groups on Tuesday and WednesdayThe South African Broadcasting Corporation reported that players were also annoyed that their farewell game before the World Cup was held at the Tsakane Stadium which holds just 5000 people and is not a highprofile soccer venueThe players viewed that as a mark of disrespect for them from their national soccer association the SABC reportedSABC and other television networks broadcast images of the World Cup squad members standing around outside their team bus at a hotel shortly before the game was due to kickoff SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao was seen speaking with the playersSouth Africa won the Womens African Cup of Nations last year for its first major title yet the players have often complained that they arent given the recognition or benefits that the mens team getsSouth Africa is due to play Costa Rica in New Zealand on July 15 in its final World Cup warmup game South Africa plays Sweden Argentina and Italy in the group stage at the World Cup starting against the Swedes on July 23With AP inputs