by AKANI CHAUKE
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africans to unite behind Bafana Bafana as the national football team prepares to compete at the FIFA World Cup.
South Africa will face Mexico in the opening match of the tournament in just under two weeks, marking Bafana Bafana’s first appearance at the global showpiece since the country hosted the event in 2010.
Speaking at a send-off dinner hosted by the Presidency last week, Ramaphosa congratulated the squad on qualifying for the World Cup and urged citizens to rally behind the team.
“I call on all South Africans to rally behind our team and show their support. Let us wear the team colours and fly the flag,” Ramaphosa said.
The president said the team’s qualification was the result of years of work by football authorities, government, clubs, sponsors and players.
“It has been a long and difficult journey to transform the fortunes of Bafana Bafana,” he said.
Ramaphosa commended the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the South African Football Association, football leagues, clubs and sponsors for their commitment to developing local football.
He noted that efforts were continuing to professionalise the sport, nurture new talent and promote football among young people across the country.
The president said Bafana Bafana would serve as ambassadors for South Africa during the tournament and showcase the country’s diversity and unity.
“The diversity of the squad and technical team is a reminder to the world that we are a united nation of many races, languages and cultures,” Ramaphosa said.
He added that South Africa was a country of opportunity where young people from challenging backgrounds could rise to represent the nation at the highest level of international sport.
According to Ramaphosa, the transformation of sport reflected the values of respect, tolerance, fairness and inclusivity enshrined in the Constitution.
The president highlighted the historic role of sport in promoting national unity, recalling the 1995 Rugby World Cup victory that became a defining moment in South Africa’s democratic journey.
“We remember the iconic moment at the 1995 Rugby World Cup final when President Nelson Mandela walked onto the field wearing a Springbok jersey to congratulate the Bokke,” he said.
Ramaphosa described the moment as one that captured the spirit of a young democracy emerging from a divided past.
He said South Africans hoped Bafana Bafana would return home with the World Cup trophy but stressed that the team’s participation already carried significant meaning for the nation.
“As I told the Bafana Bafana squad last week, the people of South Africa expect them to bring the trophy home,” Ramaphosa said.
The president drew parallels between the national team’s resurgence and South Africa’s own progress after years of challenges.
“Much like the national squad, the country has emerged from a prolonged period of difficulty and now looks to the future with hope,” he said.
Ramaphosa said South Africa’s democracy had matured over the past three decades and pointed to ongoing efforts such as the National Dialogue and signs of economic recovery as reasons for optimism.
He encouraged citizens to celebrate the country’s achievements while supporting the national team.
“So as we cheer our team on from the stands, at fan zones and in our homes, we should also cheer ourselves on as a country,” Ramaphosa said.
“We should celebrate how far we have come in building a united, non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa.”
The president urged South Africans to remain committed to building a prosperous future for all citizens.
“And like Bafana Bafana, we should keep working and striving until we have achieved a country in which all our people can thrive,” he said.
Ramaphosa said the World Cup would provide moments when South Africans could set aside their differences and stand together behind the national team.
“For 90 minutes, as they play for our country, we will not be divided by language, race, province, club or circumstance,” he said.
“For 90 minutes, as they play, we will simply be South Africans standing together behind our national team and behind our flag.”
– CAJ News