Bafana Bafana may have fallen short of securing qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), but their performance this week was another reminder of the giant strides they have made.
Not too long ago, our team would have probably been facing elimination, rather than excite us with the prospect of securing a finals ticket with two matches to spare.
But Hugo Broos’s team can now be relied upon, so much so that when they faced Congo in the away leg on Tuesday – having beaten them 5-0 in Gqeberha last week – we had hoped they would seal the deal, only for them to face a different challenge and return with a 1-1 draw.
That result means Bafana are still two points away from securing a ticket to Morocco next year, but the good news is that we have two more matches to go. Bafana will face Uganda – undoubtedly their toughest opponents in the group – away next month, before heading home to play South Sudan in the last match. A draw in Uganda, who have already qualified, could be enough provided Congo don’t win against South Sudan, but the days of Bafana relying on results from others are long gone.
Bafana have slowly regained respect, certainly from South Africans, who have shown them massive support in home matches in the last year. Sadly, however, last week’s match at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium saw an unnecessary delay after SA’s second goal, when there was a pitch invasion.
That kind of behaviour must be condemned. For too long Bafana were shunned by fans, and could barely half-fill a stadium. Now that they are on an upward trajectory, we must be measured in our excitement. Even at the height of their success, when Bafana won the 1996 Afcon and qualified for the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, there were no fans invading pitches and interrupting matches. We cannot start that self-defeating habit now.
While Bafana didn’t get the maximum points they required to become one of the early qualifiers for Morocco 2025, we are certain they will be counted among the 24 finalists after next month’s Fifa week. We have come a long way to be in this position where we can confidently trust our national side. And long may this trust and belief in the team’s capabilities continue.
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