By Johnathan Paoli
President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South Africans to unite behind Bafana Bafana as the national football team prepares for its historic FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash against Canada on Sunday night, expressing confidence that Hugo Broos’ men will overcome the North American co-hosts and advance to the last 16.
Speaking in a video message ahead of the encounter, Ramaphosa praised the team’s achievements at the tournament and called on the nation to throw its full support behind the players.
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“Tomorrow night at 9 pm South African time, Bafana Bafana will put our whole country and our entire nation on the global map once again. But this time they are doing it as one of the top 32 football teams in the world playing against Canada,” Ramaphosa said.
“And I want to wish them every luck. They have really made us proud. They’ve played extremely well and for the first time the South African flag on the world football stage is flying very high,” he added.
Ramaphosa said he believed South Africa’s players had what it takes to reach the next round of the knockout stage.
“And I know that our boys are going to make every South African proud when they take to that world football stage or pitch and they will dazzle the Canadians and they will defeat them, and they will move to the 16 number of countries that will play in the competition, which is the knockout stage,” he said.
The president appealed to citizens across the country to rally behind the national team.
Ramaphosa also revealed that he had spoken with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ahead of the match, joking that while the two leaders enjoy strong bilateral relations, there would be no diplomatic compromise once the football began.
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“Later I’m going to talk to the Prime Minister of Canada. I don’t know what he wants to say to me, but all I want to say is that we are going to win. I know this, because our boys are playing extremely well,” he said.
He concluded his message by wishing the squad success for the remainder of the tournament.
“So collectively, let’s wish them luck. All of us, let’s just be behind them. I know our boys will come back having achieved great results from the FIFA World Cup competition. Good luck, Bafana. Go for it,” he said.
Sunday’s encounter at the Los Angeles Stadium marks another milestone for Bafana Bafana, who became the first team in FIFA World Cup history to face two tournament co-hosts in the same competition after opening their campaign against Mexico.
South Africa secured a place in the knockout rounds for the first time in the country’s history after Thapelo Maseko’s decisive second-half goal earned a 1-0 victory over South Korea in their final group-stage match.
Broos’ side received a timely boost with influential midfielder Teboho Mokoena returning from suspension after missing the win over South Korea.
However, experienced player Themba Zwane remains unavailable as he continues to serve a suspension following his red card against Mexico.
Canada, coached by Jesse Marsch, present a formidable challenge despite ending the group stage with a 2-1 defeat to Switzerland.
The North Americans boast one of the tournament’s most valuable squads and possess significant attacking firepower through Juventus striker Jonathan David, who has scored three goals at the World Cup, while Promise David has added two more.
The Canadians could also welcome back Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies, who has yet to feature in the tournament due to injury but is reportedly in contention to make his first appearance against South Africa.
All eyes, including the president’s, will be on the match on Sunday as South Africa could possibly proceed to the next round of 16 teams.
