DOCTOR Khumalo would love to see Bafana Bafana finishing off their successful Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign on a high in order to send a strong message to their opposition for the World Cup qualification opposition that they mean business.
South Africa’s senior men’s national team have already booked their place at the biennial continental showpiece going into tonight’s final match against South Sudan at Cape Town Stadium. Expectations are that coach Hugo Broos might ring a raft of changes and give peripheral players a run in a match he earlier said should be a celebration of having earned the ticket to Morocco.
Khumalo would rather Bafana went all gun-ho on the South Sudanese who will come into the match high on confidence having eventually registered a victory in beating Congo Brazzaville on Wednesday.
🚨MATCH DAY🚨
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) November 19, 2024
2025 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifier
⚽️ South Africa 🇿🇦 vs 🇸🇸 South Sudan
🗓 19 November 2024
⏰️ 18h00
🏟 DHL Cape Town Stadium
📺 SABC 3#AfconQualifier#BafanaPride pic.twitter.com/0Gqr7aX1qJ
“I’d like to differ with those who say we can play everybody against South Sudan. We need to focus and win the game convincingly and qualify convincingly (top of the group,” Khumalo, who is a 10Bet South Africa ambassador, told Independent Newspapers yesterday.
Bafana are currently top of Group K with 11 points from five matches, one more than Uganda whom they beat 2-0.
“We are playing our last match on the 19th of November and the next one is March 11 and that would be a World Cup qualifier. And remember we are not doing particularly well there. So, tomorrow’s game (against South Sudan today) needs to talk to the next one in March,” said Khumalo.
“We are going away to Benin and it is going to be tough. I like the spirit, I like the attitude of the coach and the players - tomorrow’s game is still important and we need to protect the flag.”
It is for that reason that he would love to see Hugo Broos fielding a particularly strong side tonight to win well – top the group and send a warning to World Cup qualifying opposition that Bafana mean business.
Khumalo worries that with the core of the Bafana players being from Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, there could be a challenge in the World Cup qualifiers: “Pirates and Sundowns players will be worn out when March comes around because of their involvement in the CAF Champions League, how are we going to manage their fatigue?”
He is confident though that Broos has a squad strong enough to deal with that challenge to win their group and book the country’s place at the 2026 global showpiece.
“I am confident (we can qualify), if only we can maintain the balance, the standard and the discipline we showed against Congo in PE (Gqeberha) and in the match away to Uganda then we can qualify.”
Khumalo was particularly chuffed with Bafana’s defeat of The Cranes who were floating on air, topping the group unbeaten going into last Thursday’s match.
“I think it was long overdue for us to play like that away (from home) because if you were to go back to the Afcon in the Ivory Coast, there was a glimpse of maturity and unity which was previously lacking. I was a little disappointed when we drew against them at Orlando (Stadium),” the Bafana legend lamented.
“But what I saw in Uganda - in front of that hostile and packed crowd - they controlled the match by dominating everything. I loved the maturity of the individuals; they maintained the structure even after the personnel change after half-time because (Tito) Maswanganyi was good and I was happy he scored because he needs to be encouraged and supported. Bafana humbled Uganda who had been unbeaten in their backyard. They brought back the pride of the nation.”
Now all they need do is smash South Sudan to complete a fantastic qualifying campaign that will send a message to the rest of the continent that Bafana are keen to improve on their bronze medal finish from the tournament held in the Ivory Coast at the beginning of this year.
