South Africa’s xenophobic shame means Bafana Bafana do not deserve to play
As disappointing as it is to see the Bafana Bafana squad sent home this week, without a friendly international to play, there can be no doubt that the decision of both Zambia and Madagascar to refuse to play South Africa, following the horrific xenophobic violence that broke out on these shores this week, is one hundred percent correct.
People stand behind a banner a protest against xenophobia outside of the main gate of the South African High Commission which was shut down to avert reprisal attacks in Abuja, on September 5, 2019. Picture: KOLA SULAIMON / AFP
The looting of foreign-owned shops and businesses across Johannesburg in particular has rightly appalled the rest of the continent, and if cancelling football matches seems like a relatively small political statement, it is important that South Africa is shown that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated, in whatever way possible.
Zambia were first to act, cancelling their game against South Africa in Lusaka, scheduled for Saturday, and there would have been no sort of justice if Madagascar had simply stepped in and played instead.
These boycotts have made global news, and it cannot be out of the realm of possibility, if this violence continues, that South Africa will be banned from participation in qualifying for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, with qualification scheduled to begin in November.
In a purely footballing sense, this could not have been a worse start to Molefi Ntseki’s reign as permanent Bafana head coach, with the squad disbanded on Friday morning without a ball being kicked in anger.
Ntseki would have got to train the squad all week, and they would have got to know their new leader’s plans a little better, but there is no substitute for actual match practice, and Bafana are set to again have little ahead of a major campaign.
It was quite clear how much damage that did ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, as Bafana started off so poorly that they were extremely fortunate, in the end, to make the last 16.
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