Hugo Broos, head coach of South Africa during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations AFCON match against Egypt at the Adrar Stadium, Agadir on Friday. Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix I thought Bafana Bafana’s “hate-watch era” had ended, but I was clearly mistaken. The defeat to Egypt reopened wounds and once again exposed how fractured national support truly is.One stumble, and sections of the country were ready to pull the house down.
Have South Africans conveniently forgotten the 27-match unbeaten run that preceded that result? It is astonishing how quickly that great run evaporated. I never imagined I would utter this, but surely it is time to move on from the Thembinkosi Lorch debate.
The grief over players not selected for Bafana has dragged on long enough, and the timing feels painfully out of place. We cannot be arguing about absentees when players on the pitch are fighting for South Africa at the Africa Cup of Nations. Bafana did not lose to Egypt because Lorch or any other omitted player was unavailable because football does not work that way.
Read Full Article on The Citizen
[paywall]
It was a difficult evening where small margins went against Hugo Broos’s men and on another day, they may have left with at least a point. Instead of rallying behind the team, part of the fanbase chose to sharpen knives, fuel agendas and gloat as though defeat proved a point. This selective outrage continues to lay bare an uncomfortable truth that some supporters love their clubs more than their country.
There’s nothing wrong with fair criticism, but criticism rooted in club loyalty and resentment is destructive, as it hurts the very team many claim to support. The hate-watch will likely shadow Bafana for the rest of the tournament, and that is a burden the players do not deserve. For once, I would love the country to view Bafana through a lens of patriotism and unity, not through the colours of their club allegiances. As long as those on the pitch give everything for the flag, they deserve unwavering support, that is what national pride should look like.
[/paywall]
