Whisper it, but we could soon be talking about Bafana Bafana in the same breath as our more illustrious national teams.
It’s been a long time since our soccer boys have done anything to make us proud, but I’m genuinely getting excited for what coach Hugo Broos is cooking.
Having missed out on making the final round of Caf qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to a dubious Ghana penalty, South Africa have booked their place at Afcon 2023 next January and they kick off their campaign for the 2026 World Cup in November.
The 23 men squad for our two friendly matches in September 2023 as we continue preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations to be held in Ivory Coast from 13 January-11 February 2024.
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) August 30, 2023
.@BafanaBafana will play 🇳![CDATA[]]>🇦 on 9 September 2023 and 🇨![CDATA[]]>🇩 on 12 September 2023.
Both matches at… pic.twitter.com/j7TW9xkPdc
Not only that, but they do that with a confidence-boosting 2-1 win over African giants Morocco.
Whether you want to look at that game as a dead rubber or not, I reckon it will only give Broos’ manne the kind of mental reinforcement they need to believe that they can compete against the best on the continent.
What really excites me though is the attacking options that the Belgian boss has at disposal in his latest squad for the upcoming friendlies against Namibia and DR Congo.
In Lebo Mothiba, Bafana have a hard-working targetman who can give Broos the focal point in his attack that he may have been missing and has begun his season with a bang at Ligue 1 side Strasbourg.
Lyle Foster has gotten his first taste of Premier League goals with Burnley and more is expected from him by coach Vincent Kompany.
But no one in the squad has more hype around him right now than Zakhele Lepasa.
The Orlando Pirates man has scored six in six so far this season and is playing with the swagger of a rock star.
While one of the three will most likely play as the central striker, the form they have shown means that Broos could soon be able to look at different formations and tactics, with a direct two-prong attack being one such shape.
It would be a departure from the usual 4-3-3 that uses the pace and skill of inverted wingers, but with two up front in a 3-5-2 could give SA more control in midfield.
That tactical versatility will take Broos’ span to the next level and I’m here for it.
A first @premierleague goal for Lyle! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/RWAB2JRLkj
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) August 28, 2023
Another player I’m excited to see do well in the golf and green is Grant Margeman, who is playing his best football.
The Kaapenaar came into his own during the last season on loan at SuperSport United and seems to finally have found his feet with a permanent move from Mamelodi Sundowns.
Creative and tenacious, the 25-year-old has matured into a proper competitor. And he’s sniffed out some goalscoring opportunities in an impressive start to the season.
Broos revealed that he’s been keeping his eye on the Ikamva product since the back end of last term and for one who has been tipped to play on the international stage since his teens, it’s great to see him on the cusp of getting more than just Cosafa Cup caps.