Bafana show revival and promise

SOUTH African football has rarely felt as alive as it did in 2025.

- MIHLALI BALEKA.

RONWEN Williams led Bafana Bafana wil aplomb this year.

(BackpagePix)

After years spent searching for identity, consistency and belief, Bafana Bafana finally rediscovered their pulse — and, in doing so, reignited the pride of a nation.An unbeaten run stretching across the entire calendar year, qualification for both AFCON and the Fifa World Cup, and a surge of promise from the junior national teams signalled a long-awaited revival.

For the first time in a generation, South Africa can look ahead with genuine optimism, convinced that its “football nation” spirit has returned.

Twenty-five games unbeaten — and counting. Bafana Bafana have had a calendar year for ages, so far. They didn’t only create their own fortunes; they also left endearing marks for generations to follow.

It had been almost a lifetime since South Africa last felt like the “football nation” it has prided itself on being — with the national team, who are supposed to carry the country’s torch on the international stage, having fallen into ruin.

But 2025 rewrote that script. The football gods finally rewarded the hard work and resilience of this Bafana team, as they awakened the sleeping giant and guided it back to the biggest continental and global showpieces — back-to-back, and for the first time in 15 years, respectively.

Yes, Bafana will be back in the Africa Cup of Nations this month in Morocco, making a successive return to the finals after their incredible third-place finish in the last edition in Ivory Coast. And that’s why they will be one of the teams to beat.

That’s not all. Bafana will also be one of the dark horses in Morocco due to their return to the biggest stage — the Fifa World Cup, via the upcoming edition in North America — their first since hosting the tournament in 2010.