Our men’s national football team is getting no love.
Despite going unbeaten for a whole calendar year and nine matches, their 1-0 win over DR Congo on Tuesday night made headlines for the wrong reasons.
Of the 6 111 fans who made the effort to go and watch the game at the 40 000-seater Orlando Stadium, the vast majority were there to skree for the Congolese. Eish.
That’s gotta hurt when you see mense going Bok bef*k with Rugby World Cup fever, fans turning out for the Proteas even though they are currently 5-1 down to the touring Australians and Banyana Banyana and the Netball Proteas being praised.
FT Score… pic.twitter.com/lYw5JHaMe3
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) September 12, 2023
But fans not showing up for Bafana is old news.
Just last year, their 4-0 friendly win over Sierra Leone at the 80 000-capacity FNB Stadium only sold 186 tickets.
In reality, the numbers have been low for a tydjie.
As always, the blame must be laid on the South African Football Association (Safa).
Here’s some advice to president Danny Jordaan and pals.
Since Covid hit in 2020, Bafana have played just five of their 18 home matches outside of Gauteng.
Now if the mense in Jozi aren’t coming out for the games, it means it’s time to take the show on the road.
Those lucky South African fans who saw Bafana play outside of Jozi during the time mentioned got to see them in Phokeng and Nelspruit twice and at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium once.
Kapenaars will have to cast their minds back all the way to 2015 to remember the last time Safa thought of bringing the national football team to town.
And if you’re wondering why just 8 112 Cape fans showed up at the Cape Town Stadium to watch the 2-1 friendly win over Angola, it was just a year after then-sports minister FikileMbalula famously called them “a bunch of losers” after a disastrous African Nations Championship campaign innie Kaap.
It’s about time fans around the country get the see Hugo Broos’ team.
Bloemfontein always had a great atmosphere when Celtic still exist. I’m sure the Free State fans would make the ding ruk.
Yoh. Wouldn’t it be great to see our boys take on a powerhouse in world football?
Back in the day, I remember Brazil legend Bebeto having to score an acrobatic winner for the Auriverde to complete a 3-2 comeback victory.
Ian Wright scoring a winner for England, the Netherlands, Germany and Argentina all coming to our shores.
After the 2010 World Cup, we beat champions Spain in Joburg and Neymar scored a hattrick against us in 2014.
But last year’s trip to France for a 5-0 pak is as good as we’ve come to seeing the big boys since then.
Safa, like coach Broos said, we don’t wanna play Botswana every other friendly window.
Finally, Bafana must come to the party too.
I’ve been watching them play and some composure in front of goal will take this team a long way.
Under Broos, they are organised and understand what is expected from them.
Maybe we’d be grateful if some of the perceived arrogance of the Belgian rubbed off on the players of the team and they actually started winning games with a swagger.
Maybe the fans would appreciate the team then.