2025 - A year to remember and cherish

Mzansi athletes raised their hands on global stage

- By Kgomotso Mokoena

The year 2025 will go down as one of the most memorable in the sporting front.

SA teams flew the Mzansi flag high while individual sportsmen and women showed the world how competitive they can get when it mattered most.

Bafana Bafana were probably the best South African national team this year, as they continued their impressive run under coach Hugo Broos.

Bafana did not qualify for one, but two major competitions in the same year - first the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), which kicks off next Sunday, and the 2026 Fifa World Cup since 2002.

Bafana will kick off their Afcon campaign against Angola next Monday.

Bafana almost missed out on the 2026 Fifa World Cup after they were docked three points by Fifa for fielding ineligible Teboho Mokoena in the 2-0 win over Lesotho in March.

Team manager Vincent Tseka was accused of sleeping on the job and not tallying up the yellow cards. Tseka claims that he missed the yellow card because he left the stadium earlier to buy ice for the team.

Mzansi supporters were left fuming and Bafana needed to beat Rwanda on the last day of the qualifiers. Even today, fans still want Tseka axed, but it is all water under the bridge and he is gearing up for the World Cup gravy train.