Sport has showered South Africans in ecstasy in recent times. There was the Springboks toppling the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup final at the Stade de France, Wayde van Niekerk’s Michael Johnson-dethroning world-record run at the Estadio Nilton Santos, Tatjana Smith seizing golds and smashing records in Olympic pools, Dricus du Plessis becoming a UFC champion in an Ontarian Octagon, Alan Hatherly making history for non-European cyclists at Colline d’Élancourt, and the Proteas stunning Australia in the Cricket World Test Championship final at Lord’s.
Football, or soccer as they call it, has failed to provide its share over the past decade and a half. After conquering the CAF Africa Cup of Nations at their first attempt in 1996, Bafana Bafana (The Boys, The Boys) went on to participate in three of the next four FIFA World Cups™, losing just three of nine games at those finals and immortally upsetting France in front of their own ecstatic fans in 2010.
That was, agonisingly, South Africa’s last match in the competition. It won’t be for long. Nigeria, boasting elite competitors such as Ola Ainda, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, Victor Boniface and Victor Osimhen, were the favourites to claim Group C’s automatic ticket to the World Cup 26. Benin and South Africa, said the consensus, would slug it out to finish second and try and sneak into the African play-offs.
Yet Hugo Broos’s side were coasting towards qualification until they were sanctioned for fielding an ineligible player against Lesotho, a 3-0 forfeit declared. That left them requiring a favour on the final day. Nigeria obliged, beating Benin and enabling South Africa to overwhelm Rwanda, snatch top spot and spark euphoric scenes in the Mbombela Stadium stands.
“It feels wonderful,” said Broos. “We all knew that we could do it. We believed in ourselves, and I think you saw from the beginning that we wanted to win that game.
“Nigeria did what they had to do. We did what we had to do. We’re going to the World Cup. It’s fantastic. The future looks very bright for South African football. Let’s have a good AFCON in December, and then we’ll go to America.”
Knockout-phase target
South Africa did themselves proud at their three previous World Cups. Philippe Troussier’s side, which comprised Mark Fish, Lucas Radebe, Quinton Fortune, John Moshoeu, Shaun Bartlett and Benni McCarthy, drew with Peter Schmeichel, the Laudrup brothers and Denmark at France 1998, and went home with two points. Under Jomo Sono four years later, they only went out on goals scored after rallying from two down to hold Paraguay, beating Slovenia and losing 3-2 to a Raul-inspired Spain.
Then, in an unforgettable 2010 opener, Siphiwe Tshabalala’s rocket created cosmic noise at Soccer City and clinched a 1-1 draw with Mexico. Aaron Mokoena, Steven Pienaar and Co went on to stun Franck Ribery, Thierry Henry and France in Bloemfontein, with Carlos Alberto Parreira’s charges only going out on goal difference.
The aim in North America is to advance from the group stage for the first time. Bafana Bafana have, at their controls, a man who has already done so and then some. Broos, alongside Jean-Marie Pfaff, Franky Van der Elst, Enzo Scifo, Jan Ceulemans and Erwin Vandenbergh, helped Belgium reach the Mexico 1986 semi-finals, where they were undone by an otherworldly Diego Maradona.
“There are no words to express what I feel,” said the 73-year-old. “I always dreamed about it because at the end of my career as a player, I had a World Cup. And now at the end of my career as a coach, I’ll get a World Cup. What is more fantastic? I can’t think of anything. Let’s enjoy it, let’s celebrate.”
Broos believes he has the ingredients to concoct the feat. Ronwen Williams, a clean-sheet machine for Mamelodi Sundowns, beat Yassine Bounou to be crowned CAF Goalkeeper of the Year for 2024. Teboho Mokoena is, according to his coach, “one of the best midfielders in Africa”. Oswin Appollis is finally living up to his huge potential. Lyle Foster recently scored a fine goal for Burnley against Manchester United in England’s top tier. And 20-year-old winger Mohau Nkota, who plays alongside Georginio Wijnaldum and Moussa Dembele for Al Ettifaq, excites fans incalculable.
South Africans couldn’t be more excited right now. The Boys are back on football’s biggest stage.
