SAFA can take leaf out of Springboks, market Bafana properly

Bafana Bafana are playing one of their biggest matches tonight since the 2010 FIFA World Cup, when they faced Mexico in the opening game of the tournament.

On that auspicious day 15 years ago, South Africans of all hues were vibrant and full of character in their rainbow nation colours and attire. The entire country, black and white, Indian or coloured, had not been as spellbound as on that day.

From Pampierstad to Sandton and from Camps Bay to Thohoyandou, South Africans were united, and everyone sang from the same hymn book, and others drank from the same calabash. Football Friday was the order of the day, and everyone yanked their jerseys —even ancient and ripped ones from the 1960s emerged from the wardrobes.

Do-or-die encounter 

There has not been such an important match for Bafana since — and when the referee blows for kick-off at 6pm tonight, it will be nerves and anxiety all round when SA takes on Rwanda in the must-win final round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

But one disturbing observation in the country, especially today, when Bafana needs all the support it can get, is the lack of euphoria and excitement regarding the significance of the game against Rwanda at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga. The dead air and the silence are just too loud and so worrying as elimination from the 2026 World Cup looms large.

Until recently, Bafana were on an upward trajectory on the continent, and the fearsome aura was back in abundance. They were spanking opposition teams candidly and were firmly in control in Group C to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be co-hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada.

But now, coach Hugo Broos’s charges went into a tailspin after they were docked three points by FIFA, and they have dropped in position in the group. The chances of Bafana qualifying are now wafer-thin, and it’s no longer in their hands. A win for Benin against Nigeria will put an end to SA’s nightmare — it will be all over!

Lessons from rugby 

In September, the Springboks played two matches against the All Blacks and as many against the Pumas of Argentina. For the entire month, supermarkets, restaurants, work offices, shopping malls, drinking holes, and pubs were painted in the green and gold Springboks colours. Even in school, kids were made to wear Springboks regalia when the rugby world champions were playing. The euphoria was in the air everywhere one went.

On TV, the promos about Bok matches and wearing jerseys were in one’s face. It was Boks for breakfast, lunch, and supper. The marketing campaigns were beamed and postered across all corners of the country.

Sadly, the same cannot be said about Bafana these days. SAFA has failed to wow Mzansi’s attention even though they were doing so brilliantly. They seemed to be happy that the stadiums were once again full of bums on seats. Once a laughingstock of the continent, the fans were back in numbers, sponsors were showing interest, and various municipalities were wrestling each other to host Bafana, and SAFA deemed that to be good enough.

But what is clear as daylight is that there was no initiative or no marketing drive by the association to captivate the nation and to rekindle the love they had for their favourite national team.

Sleeping on the job? 

Errol Madlala is the Commercial and Marketing Manager for the South African Football Association (SAFA). When he was appointed two years ago, his responsibility was the commercial and marketing aspects of SAFA, including partnerships, fan engagement, and projects to increase supporter attendance at Bafana Bafana matches.

It is well-documented that the association is struggling financially, and Madlala does not have a broader budget to accomplish his duties. Their broadcast partners, too, the SABC, are not swimming in dollars as well. Everything is limited.

To launch a national campaign, it requires a specialised team, outsourcing, activations, a media budget, TV promos and huge public relations drive — as we witnessed in the massive campaign around 2010.

The rugby guys are on top of things because the team is doing ever so well. Bafana too have earned back respect and are a powerhouse once again.

So, SAFA should have taken a leaf from their rugby counterparts, ridden on the wave of recent success, and started a razzmatazz. But the horse may have just bolted, if only…

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