The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup is set to be the biggest stage in women's football history. However, Canada, Jamaica, and South Africa find themselves battling for basic rights instead of focusing on their World Cup preparations, just weeks away.
Managers are finalizing their 23-player squads and participating in warm-up games before heading to Australia and New Zealand. Unfortunately, these four nations are still embroiled in disputes with their federations just days before the tournament begins on July 20th.
Earlier this year, Canada's women's national team reached an interim funding deal amid a pay dispute. In South Africa, players refused to play a friendly match due to concerns over conditions. Jamaica, featuring Manchester City's top scorer Khadija Shaw, is resorting to crowdfunding for accommodation and flights.
Excitement turned to disappointment during South Africa's send-off game on July 2nd when players boycotted the match against Botswana. They refused to play on a field with a dangerous mixture of clay and grass, which could lead to injuries jeopardizing their World Cup participation. In response, the South African Football Association threatened to send the players home if they didn't play. Eventually, they did but suffered a 5-0 loss.
The misunderstandings go beyond the pitch surface. Players are set to receive £24,000 each from FIFA for participating in the group stages, but SAFA won't provide any additional funds. In protest, players refused to sign a pre-tournament contract and demanded an extra £17,000 from the federation. SAFA considered the request unreasonable, citing that FIFA's offer exceeds any previous funding from SAFA.
In Canada, unresolved issues remain as the threat to strike ahead of the SheBelieves Cup in February due budget cuts from Canada Soccer led to a dispute, and the federation threatened legal action against players if they boycotted the tournament. The players participated under protest but warned of future protests if pay demands were not met. In 2022, they were granted £3.9 million from the federal government, Canada Soccer burned through more than £3.1 million last year. Therefore, unhappiness has risen with the funding cuts to both men and women’s team.
Despite being the first Caribbean team to qualify for a Women's World Cup, the Reggae Girls continue to face disputes with the Jamaican Football Federation.
The Reggae Gorla refuse to play until they receive their owed payments which result all the way back to 2019, the slogan "No pay, no play" trended online, but years later, the situation remains unchanged. The team is currently relying on the generosity of strangers through platforms like GoFundMe to fund their World Cup campaign which started back in April.
These teams are fighting against the odds, with campaigns and fundraisers launched to cover expenses for training camps and other necessities. Jamaica, aiming to reach their £60,000 target, faces their first match against France on July 23rd.