No money for Cosafa women’s champions

The Council of Southern Africa Football Associations Women’s Championship winners will not be receiving prize money until finances in women’s football improves, the competition’s organisers said yesterday.

Malawi became the latest champions of the senior women’s competition on Sunday after dethroning Zambia 2-1 in Johannesburg.

However, they will not receive prize money for winning the title. Only Malawi forward Temwa Chawinga, who won both the player of the tournament award and the golden boot, as well as golden glove winner Cynthia Shongwe from Zimbabwe, received monetary rewards.

Each individual award is worth N$20 000.

“As has been the case in all previous years, bar one exceptional instance where a sponsor came on board to carry the cost, there will be no prize money for the teams,” Cosafa said.

“It is a global reality that women’s football does not command the same commercial funding as the men’s game, and while Cosafa is working extremely hard to change this in our region, we are not there yet,” the regional football governing body continued.

“The costs of hosting an event such as the Cosafa Women’s Championship, which draws teams from 11 countries in addition to the host, is extraordinary in terms of air travel, accommodation and other key logistics.”

The men’s senior tournament winners, Zambia, received N$500 000, with silver medallists Lesotho taking home half that amount.

Host South Africa collected N$150 000 for ending third, while Malawi earned N$100 000 for fourth.

“These costs remain the same as for our men’s events, but with lower revenue for our women’s tournament. There is simply no space in our budget framework for prize money,” Cosafa said.

“We hope that in the future we will have more commercial partners to assist in this regard, and as an organisation Cosafa is working extremely hard to turn this into a reality.”