South Africa have made history by reaching the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time, yet arguably it is a feat that should have happened sooner given the country staged the tournament in 2010.
When Siphiwe Tshabalala put Bafana Bafana ahead in the opening game against Mexico 16 years ago his strike was famously lauded as a “goal for all of Africa” by one TV commentator.
It proved to be a false dawn, with the team eliminated on goal difference despite that 1-1 draw and beating France in their final outing. They became the first World Cup hosts to fail to make it out of their group and a glorious chance was passed up.
But the failure to capitalise on hosting those finals – the first held in Africa – went further, with Cape Town-based sports journalist Mark Gleeson describing domestic football as “a little bit dormant” since 2010.
“There was much excitement in the build-up to, and obviously around, 2010, but then it all went a little bit dead, combined with an economic downturn,” he told the BBC World Service.
“There are not many sponsors in the domestic game. There’s not a lot of money floating around.”
South Africa finally returned to the World Cup this year, with the national side having also missed out on the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in 2012, 2017 and 2021 during that lean period.
However, both the domestic scene and Bafana Bafana have shown signs of life in recent years.
Mamelodi Sundowns became African club champions in 2016 and claimed their second continental crown in May after finishing as runners-up last year.
“The national team qualifying for the World Cup [and] Sundowns winning the African Champions League has been a huge boost for the country,” added Gleeson.
“Hopefully this is the start of a new era for South Africa, maybe 16 years too late. This is how things should have been in 2010.”
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