Bafana, we wish you well but we also want you to be ruthless

Bafana Bafana pack their bags today and bid farewell to South African soil as they head for the sprawling, chaotic, beautiful football carnival that is the Fifa World Cup, this time staged across Mexico, the US and Canada.

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On June 11, the whistle blows against Mexico in the opening match of the group stage. A moment of pride. A moment of history. And yet, as we wave the flags and hum the national anthem, a harder question lingers in the cold afternoon air at OR Tambo International Aiport: Do they have what it takes to escape this group?

Let us be honest with the team, as any true supporter should be. The draw has not been kind. South Africa finds itself in a group that blends raw power, tactical discipline and tournament pedigree.

Mexico, the hosts of the chaotic World Cup, will enjoy a furious home advantage. Next are the other two: Czechia, a European heavyweight smarting from past failures, and South Korea, a side with a tendency to overperform.