Bongani Zungu during the South African national men's soccer team press conference. (Photo by Gallo Images)
The Bafana Bafana squad dispersed on Friday to return to their clubs, with a continent’s stand against the xenophobic attacks on these shores this week meaning South Africa were left without an opponent for an international friendly.
It was sad from a footballing sense that Molefi Ntseki and his squad did not get to play a first game under their new head coach, with Zambia cancelling an international in Lusaka earlier in the week, and then Madagascar withdrawing on Thursday after the South African Football Association had organised a replacement match at Orlando Stadium.
However, it was impossible to argue with the decisions to pull out as a response to the violence that erupted in Johannesburg in particular.
“It is very bad, what is happening in the country,” Bafana Bafana midfielder Bongani Zungu told journalists on Thursday.
“For me and some of the other guys (in the squad), we are foreigners in other countries, and to see such things … it is very sad, even in Europe our teammates speak about these things, I just hope we can find peace and understand that no one is a foreigner in Africa,” added the France-based former Mamelodi Sundowns man.
Bafana still have an October international date in which they can organise a game ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which begin in November, with South Africa set to take on Ghana (away) and Sudan (home) in Group C matches.
If the violence continues, however, it is questionable who from the continent or elsewhere will want to play Bafana, and could even put their participation in the 2021 Afcon in jeopardy.
This week’s lack of preparation is certainly a blow to Ntseki, who was deprived of a first chance to test a Bafana team in his own mould, even if a week training with the squad may have provided some help.
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
