South Africa is a soccer nation without doubt but the country’s apparent lack of interest in bafana banana nowadays is disheartening. The match the national squad had on Sunday, against Sudan, at Orlando Stadium saw only 12 000 people in attendance out of 40 000. This was extremely embarrassing for bafana bafana considering that Orlando Stadium is regarded as a legendary venue that fills to capacity whenever a high profile match is on. Supporters seem to be solely interested in PSL matches and the much loved and celebrated Soweto derby these days.
It’s impossible for a staunch supporter of South African soccer not to immerse themselves in retrospection when wondering about this dilemma. Born-frees might be clueless but there used to be a time when the national soccer squad was South Africa’s pride and joy. Stadiums would be packed with spectators itching to watch 16V Doctor Khumalo embarrassing players with his dribbling skills.
Mark Fish had the whole arena screaming ‘Fiiiiiiiish’whenever the ball landed at his feet before adding his magic touch. Philemon Masinga is well-known for his electrifying and most memorable goal that he scored against Congo in 1997 during their 1998 World Cup qualifier. The stadium was extremely packed and this could be seen after Masinga’s goal hit the back of the net with the spectators going wild including coach Clive Barker.
The build up to the 1998 world cup certainly had South Africa buzzing with local artists releasing music in support of Bafana Bafana. The most famous and memorable jam has to be shibobo by TKZee featuring a young Benni McCarthy who was on the rise. Shibobo became South Africa’s unofficial national anthem receiving endless airplay on the radio and people’s cars as well as sound systems. This was certainly an era when soccer fans were ecstatic and patriotic about their national team.
One could also argue that the advent of 1994 brought with it euphoria that transitioned onto the field. An oppressed nation was finally free and their excitement was uncontainable. Perhaps this excitement also created a bit of pressure for Bafana Bafana to perform on the field and boy did they impress the crowd!
The current national squad seemingly needs to tap into their inner rhythm and seek what makes their supporters proud and follow in the footsteps of their idols.
