Broos’ plan came together beautifully for Bafana

“BUNCH OF LOSERS!”

- ZAAHIER ADAMS

These were the headlines that greeted Bafana Bafana, with the comments coming from none other than the then Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula, after the team’s 3-1 defeat to Nigeria in the 2014 African Nations Championship.

Mbalula also claimed Bafana were “useless, made reference to their “mediocrity”, and stated that “we indeed have a crisis of monumental proportions”.

Contrast this to the jubilant celebration scenes, led by current Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie screaming into the cameras “Siyaya e-America” on Tuesday evening at Nelspruit’s Mbombela Stadium after Bafana qualified for next year’s Fifa World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

For Bafana to have come this far is staggering: It’s pinch me, wake up, everybody’s dreaming territory.

Qualification for a first Fifa World Cup since 2002 was achieved despite the off-field sagas of Safa being debt-ridden leading to the national football’s governing body needing a R5-million bailout from McKenzie’s portfolio last December to settle outstanding player remuneration.