Blood-stained mattresses, supper served to children at 11pm, and alleged substandard food are just some of the complaints from parents who say more than R2,500 was paid for each pupil to take part in a soccer tournament.
The parents are now crying foul over the treatment of their children during the soccer trip, organised by the Northern Areas Football Association (Nafa), to Cape Town last week.
About 120 children in the U10, U12, U14, U16 and U18 divisions left for Cape Town on Wednesday to take part in what they say they were led to believe was to be a tournament but ended up with them playing only two friendly matches.
The parents, who asked not to be named, said they had initially been told their children would be taking part in the Goodwill tournament in East London.
However, at the 11th hour, Nafa representatives called a meeting to inform them they were no longer going to East London as planned, but rather to Cape Town.
“I initially paid R2,500 for the East London trip and was told the amount would cover transport, accommodation, food, a tracksuit, two T-shirts and two pairs of socks,” a parent who travelled to Cape Town to show support said.
“We were informed to attend an urgent meeting and were told there wouldn’t be an East London trip any more.
“Nafa said we were going to have the tournament in Cape Town rather, and we as parents were told to pay an additional R250 on top of the R2,500 already paid.
“They refused to give the kids tracksuits if the R250 was not paid.”
She said when they arrived in Cape Town and asked for the tournament’s fixtures, there had been no response from the Nafa executive team.
“Nafa president Clive Kilian and his group of people arranged friendly matches with Cape Town people.
“The kids played, thinking it was a tournament. They played their hearts out just to find out it was friendly.
“Some boys cried because they won but no medals or trophies were given out. It was U10 children.”
Kilian, however, said parents had been made aware the children were no longer going to participate in a tournament, but rather going on a tour to Cape Town.
“I have not received any formal complaint,” he said.
“What is trending on Facebook is not my business. Everything was explained to them.
“For the past 14 years, the Goodwill tournament has been running with five LFAs in different centres, like Cape Town, Gqeberha and East London, and everything was running on the principle that the hosts of that year provide accommodation.
“This year it was hosted by East London, but because of the problems that LFA has with Safa, we had to withdraw from the event.
“Until that stage, all the tournament organisation for East London was done until they told us otherwise.
“The money they want back is fundraising. It’s not as if they paid out of their pockets, except for the R250.
“So, what we had to do was to arrange a short-notice [trip to Cape Town], but we had a meeting with these parents and explained the reasons, and asked them if we should continue to try to find a place we could go to.
“We agreed on Cape Town in that meeting and most of the parents agreed.
“Now Nafa had to find hosts in Cape Town and we explained to them this was not a tournament, it was a Goodwill tour.”
Another parent said the accommodation in Cape Town had been substandard.
She said the children had slept at the Fort iKapa Military Base in Goodwood.
“I want proof of payment for accommodation and transport because there are rumours that two buses and accommodation were sponsored.
“I want my money back because from my understanding my child was going to Cape Town to participate in a tournament.
“The food was pathetic as well.”
A Cape Town relative of one of the children also weighed in: “The place that was provided to them was filthy, and the toilets were unhygienic.
“I was there on the Thursday as I took leave for two days to watch my nephew, who was very excited to play in his first tournament, which was in actual fact a friendly that could have been played at home.”
A Nafa coach who travelled to Cape Town with the children said their accommodation had been a mess when they arrived.
He said they’d had to rearrange the beds and some of the mattresses had blood stains.
“We met on Wednesday morning for departure and were told we must sort ourselves out on the road and they would give us supper, which we received only at about 11pm.
“In the morning, they gave us breakfast at about 11am which was two slices of white bread with cheese and fruit.
“They said we were going to Goodwood for sightseeing and they were giving us lunch there, but we received lunch only late when we got back to the military base and it was a small portion of cold fish and chips.
“The U16 boys complained [they were still hungry].
“A senior coach, a Nafa official and a referee didn’t get food so they had to walk from the military base to SPAR close by to buy food for themselves.”
“We went up for a tournament, but there was no tournament.”
In response to the food claims, Kilian said they would never give children under their care food that was substandard.
On the coach, he said: “I am not going to respond to a faceless person who doesn’t have the guts or the honesty to say this is what it is because we had an open session with the members to address the issues.
“We had 120 junior players. The logistics were at short notice. It’s a massive operation.
“I don't know if they sent pictures of the food but there was chicken biryani and it was one of the best I’ve tasted.
“I am just disappointed about the whole fight,” Kilian said.
HeraldLIVE
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