Something special is brewing in the South African version of the beautiful game — and it deserves a deafening roar of applause.
Football is regaining ground in clawing back its place as the favourite sport in the land. It is a gratifying sight to see Bafana Bafana emerge out of the tunnel to be greeted by terraces filled to the brim.
Gladdening because in recent years our boys have grown accustomed to playing before virtually empty stands, drawing numbers the size of Bible-thumping born-agains holding a service in a brothel.
In one of their best decisions — for they are far and few between — the South African Football Association (Safa) hired Hugo Broos to exorcise the demon of underperformance. When he began his exorcism, the Belgian had something to bemoan, as he found playing before a stadium with no bums on seats bizarre.
Early signs of Bafana winning back the hearts and minds were visible at the FNB Stadium when, in front of 51,000 fans, they beat a Morocco team still basking in the glow of becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals of the Fifa World Cup.
Then around 20,000 witnessed debutant Thalente Mbatha come off the bench to save Bafana blushes in a 2-2 draw against Uganda on a Friday night. By Bafana’s standards of a few years ago, it was a decent turnout.
The turnaround in fortunes has resulted in a Bafana shift from struggling to pull spectators to packing them in like sardines, as was the case when they caned Zimbabwe 3-1 at Free State Stadium in the 2026 World Cup group C qualifier. It was repeated on Friday night when Bafana dished out a polished display to crush Congo 5-0 in Gqeberha.
The return of the fans is linked to the generation of players galvanising the faithful to rally behind the team.
We come from fielding a strong starting XI and sink into a crisis when one of those key players is struck by injury or personal issues. Nowadays, we are spoilt for choice like a child in a candy shop.
An area of concern is goalkeeping, mainly because Ronwen Williams has proven himself a gloveman of international repute. But Sipho Chaine and Ricardo Goss are dependable deputies.
Elsewhere, we have options aplenty. No Siphephelo Mthembu? No Thalente Mbatha? No worries, there’s Bathusi Aubaas and Luke le Roux. No Mihlali Mayambela? No Percy Tau? Moenie worry nie. Relebohile Mofokeng is binnekant.
Supporters want a winning team. Bafana BaBroos seem to have found the formula
Stellenbosch FC are carving a niche as a formidable force playing pleasing football, producing sought-out players like Deano van Rooyen, Iqraam Rayners, Fawaaz Basadien and Jayden Adams.
In other clubs like Polokwane City and Sekhukhune United, individual players Oswin Appollis, Elias Mokwana and Rushwin Dortley are rising to become important pieces of the Bafana puzzle. Suddenly words like classy, pulsating, resilient are mentioned in the same sentence as Bafana.
It’s a strong sign of the revival of the romance as the nation gets excited about Bafana. Perhaps not in the same way as the Springboks yet, but they are on course.
Supporters want a winning team. Bafana BaBroos seem to have found the formula. If the bronze medal winners in Ivory Coast maintain the momentum by qualifying for Afcon 2025 and the 2026 Fifa World Cup, it will open endless opportunities for the younger players.
We are into matchday three of the Betway Premiership and capacity crowds have been the order of the day. Kaizer Chiefs pulling them against Marumo Gallants, AmaZulu and Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Ghost, under Jose Riveiro’s spell, descend on Orlando Stadium in droves and have turned it into a feared fortress. A resurgent Orlando Pirates is broadening the pool of selection.
PS: Maybe the moment is opportune for us to seize the moment and cease this bull manure of seeing Bafana through club-tinted lenses.
International isolation made the national team a foreign concept. For crying out loud, it’s been 32 years since our return from the wilderness, yet we are still affected by the affliction in lousy clubbism. Let’s not spoil this moment of something special brewing in SA football.
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