Following reports that the South African Football Association (SAFA) is cash-strapped and cannot pay players’ salaries ahead of the festive season, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has decided to advance the federation with R5 million.

Minister Gayton McKenzie wrote to SAFA to offer the advance with the understanding that it will be subtracted from the grant paid in the 2025 financial year.

This comes with the condition that SAFA’s leadership will need to provide reasons for why their financial affairs are so troubled, together with a viable turnaround plan to avoid such a situation in future.

SAFA agreed to the conditions.