OPINION: Write Bafana Bafana off at your own peril
Pound for pound, this current Bafana team can mix it up with some of the big hitters on the continent.
Bafana Bafana celebrate a goal during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Finals match against Namibia at Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo last Sunday. (Mehrez Toujani/BackpagePix)
I’ve said it before and I will say it again, write Bafana Bafana off at your own peril.
ALSO READ: Tunisia’s three key players ahead of crunch Bafana AFCON clash
This team can punch and can punch hard, ask Namibia who found out just how dangerous Bafana can be on their day.
Hugo Broos and his charges were given little to no chance of bouncing back from the disappointing 2-0 defeat to Mali. Their wobbling at the Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire lured Namibia into a false sense of superiority as both teams came into the match on the back of contrasting results.
South Africa were on the ropes and the Brave Warriors were expected to deliver a knockout blow after they boxed cleverly against Tunisia to produce a stunning 1-0 upset.
The ’96 champions came out swinging like a heavyweight boxer looking for an early knockout and the tie was essentially over as a contest after 40 minutes.
Bafana were in the pound seat after racing to a 3-0 lead thanks to a Themba Zwane brace and if this was a boxing match, it would have been waved off at half time.
Pound for pound, this current Bafana team can mix it up with some of the big hitters on the continent and let me highlight why this victory was significant.
I know people will say “it’s only Namibia” but they have developed a reputation of being giant slayers on the continent. They also beat Cameroon on their way to clinching qualification for the Afcon.
They tried to turn the match against Zwane and company into a slugfest from the first whistle like they have successfully done against other big nations but came up against a fired up Bafana.
ALSO READ: Broos warns Bafana to stay on their toes for Tunisia showdown
I must caution that Bafana can’t afford to get carried away as the job is not yet done but their clinical performance has no doubt sent a strong warning to Tunisia that Wednesday’s match won’t be a light sparring session
Equatorial Guinea are the only other nation to have scored four goals after two rounds of matches but Bafana’s 4-0 win is the biggest winning margin of the tournament so far.
