Legend of the Bafana Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs, Brian Baloyi, has appealed to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to accelerate the professionalization process of women's football in Africa. He also advocated for the abolition of the practice where participation in the WAFCON semifinals automatically grants qualification for the World Cup.
After being eliminated in the WAFCON 2024 quarterfinals, the Banyana Banyana team maintained hope for participation in the FIFA 2027 World Cup by defeating Nigeria 2-1 in a preliminary match. They will now join Ghana in the 10-team playoff at the end of the year.
However, Baloyi, acting as an ambassador for Hollywoodbets, believes that the qualification system through the WAFCON semifinals should be discontinued. He stated in an exclusive interview with IOL Sport: 'It is high time for CAF to reconsider this issue of World Cup qualification through reaching the WAFCON semifinals. I know that when we grew up, we were accustomed to this, even in junior tournaments.'
Baloyi emphasized that while such a practice is understandable in junior competitions, it is time for change for women. He added that women are not playing enough matches, and they would benefit from having qualification dedicated exclusively to the World Cup. In his opinion, qualifying through WAFCON forces teams to participate in two tournaments simultaneously, which creates significant stress for the athletes.
The former goalkeeper of Bafana Bafana highlighted factors hindering the professional approach to women's football. He noted that despite the existence of the Hollywoodbets Super League in South Africa, which is one of the best-managed women's leagues on the continent, it remains semi-professional, not fully professional. Baloyi pointed to a general problem: there are fewer than five professional or semi-professional leagues across the continent, and CAF's main task is to develop these leagues.
Furthermore, Baloyi focused on the personal responsibility of players and their management. He mentioned that after Banyana Banyana's successes at WAFCON (winning in 2022) and the World Cup, the situation reverted to its previous level. He urged the athletes themselves to understand the necessity of promoting their brand, as marketing and branding have changed significantly, allowing them to attract corporate sponsors.