Feel it, the FIFA World Cup is here in South Africa, and Bafana Bafana will be amongst the 48 teams that will be competing for the prestigious trophy in Canada, Mexico, and the USA in June this year.
On Friday, the FIFA World Cup trophy tour officially kicked off in SA, when it was unveiled by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Union Buildings in Tshwane, who shared his words of support to Bafana as they will be returning to the World Cup stage for the first time since 2010.
Bafana assistant coach Helman Mkhalele expressed his excitement about being up close and within touching distance of the trophy, adding that it gave him goosebumps ahead of their mission in the Americas.
“When the president unveiled the trophy, and I saw it live, I started to develop goosebumps, especially when he said we are going to send it away for the time being, but it will be permanently back here in South Africa in six months,” Mkhalele told Sunday World.
“So, then you can see the message is straightforward that we must go out there and work harder to make sure that we bring it home.
“And I must say thanks to Coca-Cola for bringing it, for making sure that they bring the trophy here in South Africa, because seeing it live motivates you to say we can win it.”
Bafana have been drawn in Group A and will play the opening match against co-host Mexico on June 11 in Mexico City.
Besides the game being somewhat a repeat of the curtain raiser of the 2010 World Cup in Mzansi, it will also be a special occasion for coach Hugo Broos, as he will be coming full circle in Mexico 40 years later to the day he played in the same fixture at the 1986 tournament as a Belgium international.
“Our coach also played in Mexico in 1986, and there is that 2010 opening match between them and us. So now it gives me the sense that if they manage to get a draw here, it means it’s possible for us to get a draw and even a win.
“So that is the mindset that we are going to carry going to Mexico, especially in our first game, because anything is possible in football,” Mkhalele added.
The trophy will be making its way to Cape Town on Sunday for the last round of its tour in South Africa.
