Tashreeq Vardien | Don’t watch Bafana Bafana with one foot out the door

Sixteen years of waiting, two matches of bruising reality, and a fanbase still learning how to believe again. Next for Bafana Bafana at the World Cup are South Korea at 03:00 on Thursday (SA time), and a nation deciding whether to stay awake or turn away – again, writes Tashreeq Vardien.

There are still some fickle Bafana Bafana supporters who remain undecided about whether to fully back this side, even as the stakes rise at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

The past two weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster, the kind of stretch South African football has not felt since the 2010 tournament on home soil.

It has been 16 long years of waiting since then – years defined by near misses, qualification heartbreaks and moments that often ended in frustration rather than celebration.

Alongside it all, the South African Football Association (SAFA) has faced its share of scrutiny, with questions repeatedly raised about its administration of the game.

We know it all. Sigh…

READ | Adams backs Mokoena-less Bafana against South Korea: ‘We have to man up’

Now, Bafana, ranked 60th in the world, are back where they belong – on football’s biggest stage.

Yet there has been nothing smooth or sentimental about the return. Instead, it has arrived in jolts: first the harsh exposure of a 2-0 defeat to Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, then a far more layered 1-1 draw against Czechia in Atlanta, where South Africa showed both their vulnerabilities and their fight.

It is football at its most unforgiving: where structure is tested in seconds, and patience is constantly under pressure.

South African fans, for all their passion, are not known for their patience with Bafana Bafana.

In truth, South Africans are generally resilient, thick-skinned and