Public donations help secure plane tickets to bring home some members of SA soccer team stranded in Portugal
Thanks to donations made possible by the public, R54,000 was raised.
Twelve players, along with one coach, will touchdown on home soil Wednesday evening.
KFM presenter, Tracey Lange, confirmed that 12 tickets had been secured.
"Our desire is to make sure they all get home in one go. We don't want to take a while and prioritise anyone above the rest. We don't want anyone's kids to feel that they are more important than anyone else's. The coaches are doing their best to keep everyone fine."
The team's dream trip turned into a nightmare when the organisers failed to book return flights after spending a week in Spain competing at an annual soccer tournament.
One of the coaches working for the organisers, Jayvin Chisholm, said many of the coaches were furious with the top management of BT Academy, which admitted in a letter calling for donations that the funds paid by the players had fallen short of covering the estimated cost of the trip.
"He's just trying to keep afloat with the coaches that are willing to even speak to him at this moment, being myself and coach Clayton, because the other coaches, they won't speak to him at all because they are just so furious about the whole situation."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
Proteas vs Australia: First T20
The last time the Proteas took part in a high-profile fixture, they claimed the World Test Championship title, but now attention shifts to a limited-overs series against Australia. South Africa will face the hosts in a three-match T20 International (T20I) series from 10-16 August, followed by a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series from 19-24 August. As the tour kicks off on Sunday, play will start at 11:15 (SA time), and you can keep track of the live scoring below. 1st T20I – Sunday, 10 August (11:15 start time in SA) Australia vs South Africa – Marrara Stadium, Darwin 2nd T20I – Tuesday, 12 August (11:15) Australia vs South Africa – Marrara Stadium, Darwin 3rd T20I – Saturday, 16 August (11:15) Australia vs South Africa, Cazalys Stadium, Cairns 1st ODI – Tuesday, 19 August (06:30) Australia vs South Africa – Cazalys Stadium, Cairns 2nd ODI – Friday, 22 August (06:30) Australia vs South Africa – Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay 3rd ODI – Sunday, 24 August (06:30) Australia vs South Africa – Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay Temba Bavuma (captain, DP World Lions), Corbin Bosch (Momentum Multiply Titans), Matthew Breetzke (Dafabet Warriors), Dewald Brevis (Momentum Multiply Titans), Nandre Burger (WSB Western Province), Tony de Zorzi (WSB Western Province), Aiden Markram (Momentum Multiply Titans), Senuran Muthusamy (Dafabet Warriors), Keshav Maharaj (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Wiaan Mulder (DP World Lions), Lungi Ngidi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Lhuan-dre Pretorius (Momentum Multiply Titans), Kagiso Rabada (DP World Lions), Ryan Rickelton (DP World Lions), Tristan Stubbs (Dafabet Warriors), and Prenelan Subrayen (Hollywoodbets Dolphins). Aiden Markram (captain, Momentum Multiply Titans), Corbin Bosch (Momentum Multiply Titans), Dewald Brevis (Momentum Multiply Titans), Nandre Burger (WSB Western Province), George Linde (WSB Western Province), Kwena Maphaka (DP World Lions), Senuran Muthusamy (Dafabet Warriors), Lungi Ngidi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Nqaba Peter (DP World Lions), Lhuan-dre Pretorius (Momentum Multiply Titans), Kagiso Rabada (DP World Lions), Ryan Rickelton (DP World Lions), Tristan Stubbs (Dafabet Warriors), Prenelan Subrayen (Hollywoodbets Dolphins) and Rassie van der Dussen (DP World Lions). What are your predictions for this series? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
How Orlando Pirates carelessly set fire to almost R50 million
Orlando Pirates have done some smart business this window, but a ghost continues to haunt the board and the club's balance sheet. Pirates had several opportunities to sell Monnapule Saleng while his stock was high. Now, they'll likely lose the player on a free transfer. What went wrong? Details: Saleng returns to Orbit College After hesitating to sell Monnapule Saleng, and with all possible suitors knowing he was unhappy at the club, Pirates scuppered a massive opportunity to make some money on the player, with a weakened bargaining position. The record departure in Pirates history was €2.3 million (R48 million) when Mbulelo 'Oldjohn' Mabizela moved to Tottenham in 2003-2004. It's unlikely the Sea Robbers would have fetched a number in that region, but there's no reason why the 2022-2023 PSL Player of the Year should be leaving on a free transfer. However, that's the most likely scenario with the player out on loan with Orbit College for the 2025-2026 season. After all, there were substantial rumours of offers from Standard Liege in Belgium and French Ligue giants Monaco. 'Nkota is already a better player after leaving Pirates' Will the Chiefs slayer come back to haunt Pirates while on loan with Orbit? Image: @orlandopirates / X 29-year-old Nkosinathi Sibisi will wear the captain's armband at Pirates in 2025-2026. He was a key figure last season alongside breakout star Mbekezeli Mbokazi in the heart of defence after Thabiso Sesane was struck down with a long-term injury. What happens when Sesane returns will be fascinating, as he might even dislodge the new captain. That's a nice problem for new boss Ouaddao to have, though. Sibisi made 42 appearances last season across all competitions, including 25 in the league. Let us know by leaving a comment below or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Also, subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
3 hours ago
- The South African
Khune's talks about new Kaizer Chiefs players
Kaizer Chiefs legend Itumeleng Khune has called on the club's supporters to show patience with the team's new signings. Speaking on SABC1, Khune acknowledged the excitement surrounding the arrivals but emphasised the importance of allowing the players time to settle into the squad. List of new players: Nkanyiso Shinga – 25‑year‑old left-back – 25‑year‑old left-back Ethan Chislett – 26‑year‑old attacking midfielder – 26‑year‑old attacking midfielder Flavio Silva – 29-year-old striker – 29-year-old striker Paseka Mako – 31-year-old left-back – 31-year-old left-back Thabiso Monyane – 25-year-old right-back – 25-year-old right-back Siphesihle Ndlovu –28-year-old central midfielder. Full List: Five Kaizer Chiefs matches this month The former goalkeeper has reminded fans that integrating new players into the team requires time and understanding. According to Khune, Monyane and Mako bring winning experience from Orlando Pirates. Shinga and Chislett have shown real promise, while Silva needs a fair shot to prove himself. 'When you talk about Paseka Mako and when you talk about Thabiso Monyane, they are bringing that winning mentality from Orlando Pirates,' Khune said on SABC1 . Kaizer Chiefs players during the penalty shootouts against Asante Kotoko in the Toyota Cup. Image: kcofficial/Instagram Midfielder surprised by Orlando Pirates fame 'And I was quite impressed with the like of Shinga, Chislett, and of course we need to give Silva a fair turn. 'We only just debate him in the first games that we've seen him play but he's definitely going to show us what he can bring to South African football,' Kaizer Chiefs' greatest ever goalkeeper concluded. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
