EDITORIAL | Go out there and make SA proud, Bafana Bafana

Bafana Bafana start their World Cup campaign with a crucial match against co-hosts Mexico in a repeat of the nations’ opening game at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg in the 2010 edition of the global soccer showpiece. Tonight’s clash at Estadio Azteca Stadium carries plenty of significance as it will open the 2026 edition of the expanded competition which has been overshadowed by off-field issues. The venue is also steeped in history —it hosted the 1986 semifinal clash between England and Argentina famous for the “Hand of God” goal by Diego Maradona.

Fresh from a below-par performance in January at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where they were knocked out by Cameroon in the last 16, SA are listed as underdogs in a group which, besides Mexico, also comprises South Korea and Czechia. Veteran Belgian coach Hugo Broos has been at pains to whip up the boys’ confidence to enable them to deal with the raucous reception they will receive against the hosts, by all accounts a formidable side. Many SA fans will remember how, in the 2010 opener, Mexico silenced the packed Soccer City crowd by cancelling out Siphiwe Tshabalala’s goal to escape with a draw.

While the euphoria 16 years ago was palpable, with the entire country behind the team, the runup to this year’s edition has been rather muted with little in the way of awareness campaigns that often accompany SA’s other national teams at global events. The apathy might be the result of a lack of confidence in the side, especially after the disappointing showing in Morocco. Club loyalty could also be a factor — Broos hardly selected a player from Kaizer Chiefs, arguably the best-supported side in the country. Even effervescent sports minister Gayton McKenzie has been subdued by his standards, though he did activate programmes such as sending 2010 soccer legends to Mexico to bolster support for the team.