Mzansi national teams falter after showing promise

Amajita did SA proud; Bafana blunder could prove too costly

- Kgomotso Mokoena

Had it not been for Vincent Tseka's blooper, some Bafana Bafana supporters would be now going through the US map and circling must-see places such as Times Square, The Grand Canyon, Disney World, the White House, Las Vegas, the Statue of Liberty, Hollywood, the Empire State Building and many bucket list sites to visit, as they planned their sojourns for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, to be co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.

And because of Tsekagate, Bafana fans are still on tenterhooks about qualifying for the biggest sporting event in the whole wide world. The senior national football team was cruising nicely and leading the group comfortably until Tseka happened. Now it’s a sense of déjà vu yet again.

Now Bafana have to beat Rwanda on Tuesday and hope that Group C leaders Benin falters against Nigeria in Uyo.

While Bafana are still chomping at the bit to book their ticket to the Fifa 2026 World Cup, their younger brothers Amajita made the country proud after they reached the quaterfinals of the Under-20 World Cup. They were knocked out by Columbia on Thursday night.