It’s time to rally around Bafana for 2010 dress-rehearsal

TIME has flown by and the fat lady is about to sing, with just over two weeks left – 17 days to be exact – before the dress-rehearsal for the 2010 World Cup. The Confederations Cup begins on June 14. It definitely seems like everyone is ready for the spectacle – from the organisers, the players and the fans. The eyes of the entire globe will be on South Africa to assess our capabilities on and off the soccer field. Now is the time for sceptics to put their pessimism on hold and rally behind the organising committee and their team.
South Africa has in the past shown its capability of hosting events of such high magnitude. In 1995, the country played host to the world during the Rugby World Cup – uniting the young democratic country as South Africa took the title on home soil. A year later, the Bafana Bafana Class of 1996 were crowned African champions after successfully hosting the African Cup of Nations. In 2003, it was the Cricket World Cup (also the first to be held on African soil) which despite the host nation failing to make it to the Super 6 stage, went on to be a major success.
The recent Indian Premier League, which was held in South Africa, once again showed the country‘s knack of staging successful world- class events. Judging by these past tournaments and the fact that ticket sales for the Confederations Cup are fast nearing the 400000-mark goes to show that the general public is ready and willing to be part of making history.
Most of the pressure to perform over the two-week long tournament will be on Joel Santana‘s men. Bafana have received plenty of warnings from their fellow competitors – La Roja (the Spanish national team) and the Lions of Mesopotamia (Iraq) – that they face an arduous task ahead. The competition in the 30- man squad, which will soon be trimmed down to 23 before the June 4 deadline for submission of official Confederations Cup squads, is said to be highly intense.
South Africans now need not to cry over spilt milk, but to support the coach‘s decisions. There remain many who are crying foul over the booting out of Mabhudi Khenyeza, the inclusion of certain players and the exclusion of Richard Henyekane. This is not the time to be negative, but to give full support to the national team.
Since no African team has yet claimed the Confederations Cup title, one would hope that Bafana and the Pharaohs of Egypt will turn things around.