Apart from Relebohile Mofokeng, who is finalising a move to Belgian Pro League side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, Oswin Appollis and Lyle Foster were two notable absentees at Bafana Bafana’s heroes’ welcome at OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday morning.
It is unclear why the duo was not part of the group, with captain Ronwen Williams opting not to respond to the question regarding the whereabouts of Appollis and Foster.
The Orlando Pirates winger is rumoured to be linked with a move to Portuguese giants FC Porto.
Similar to Mofokeng, who has officially been unveiled as a Royale Union Saint-Gilloise player, Appollis displayed a good enough performance at the World Cup with Bafana to attract interest from top European clubs.
Joyous welcome at airport
Be that as it may, Bafana arrived early on what was a chilly morning, with hundreds of fans gathering at the airport to welcome the team that made history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Under the tutelage of coach Hugo Broos, South Africa reached the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time, a feat that is worth celebrating.
The team was welcomed by several dignitaries, including South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, and Minister of Sports, Arts & Culture Gayton McKenzie.
The Gwijo Avenue group also brought the vibe and atmosphere upon the arrival of the team, with their singing and dancing.
Despite the lengthy wait for the arrival of the team, the moment they appeared through the arrivals, led by Broos and Williams, the crowd roared and showed appreciation to the team that will go down in the history books of SA football.
Shortly after that, there was a brief and wholesome picture moment for all the children who sacrificed their sleep to witness their heroes, which ultimately made the long wait worth it for the staunch SA football fans.
Broos and Williams then addressed the media regarding their experience at the biggest stage of football in the Americas.
‘Very happy with our performance’
“We are very happy and satisfied with our performance at the World Cup. It was not easy, but we made it [to the knockout stages] and made history for South African football,” Broos said.
“It really wasn’t easy, but we succeeded, and we will now look into the future and see what we can improve and try doing better than we did going forward.”
Said Williams: “I would first like to thank everyone for their support and for this moment, where we are experiencing and feeling the unity of the country; it is amazing.
“We appreciate all the well wishes, support, love, and belief as players. The sponsors, Safa, also appreciate them for their support and for ensuring that we were taken care of. It was a wonderful journey and experience.
“When we sit and look back as players with what we have achieved with coach Hugo, we can only be proud of our achievement at the World Cup. So, we are proud and happy that the country is also happy.”
It will now be back to the drawing board for Safa, as they are expected to engage in talks with Broos regarding his future as coach of the national team.
Read More: Bafana move up FIFA rankings after amazing run at World Cup
- Apart from Relebohile Mofokeng, who is finalising a move to Belgian Pro League side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, Oswin Appollis and Lyle Foster were two notable absentees at Bafana Bafana’s heroes’ welcome at OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday morning.
- It is unclear why the duo was not part of the group, with captain Ronwen Williams opting not to respond to the question regarding the whereabouts of Appollis and Foster.
- The Orlando Pirates winger is rumoured to be linked with a move to Portuguese giants FC Porto.
- Similar to Mofokeng, who has officially been unveiled as a Royale Union Saint-Gilloise player, Appollis displayed a good enough performance at the World Cup with Bafana to attract interest from top European clubs.
- Joyous welcome at airport Be that as it may, Bafana arrived early on what was a chilly morning, with hundreds of fans gathering at the airport to welcome the team that made history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Apart from Relebohile
It is unclear why the duo was not part of the group, with captain Ronwen Williams opting not to respond to the question regarding the whereabouts of Appollis and Foster.
Similar to
Be that as it may, Bafana arrived early on what was a chilly morning, with hundreds of fans gathering at the airport to welcome the team that made history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Despite the lengthy wait for the arrival of the team, the moment they appeared through the arrivals, led by Broos and Williams, the crowd roared and showed appreciation to the team that will go down in the history books of SA football.
Broos and Williams then addressed the media regarding their experience at the biggest stage of football in the Americas.
“We are very happy and satisfied with our performance at the World Cup. It was not easy, but we made it [to the knockout stages] and made history for
“It really wasn’t easy, but we succeeded, and we will now look into the future and see what we can improve and try doing better than we did going forward.”
Said Williams: “I would first like to thank everyone for their support and for this moment, where we are experiencing and feeling the unity of the country; it is amazing.
“We appreciate all the well wishes, support, love, and belief as players.
“When we sit and look back as players with what we have achieved with coach Hugo, we can only be proud of our achievement at the World Cup. So, we are proud and happy that the country is also happy.”
It will now be back to the drawing board for Safa, as they are expected to engage in talks with Broos regarding his future as coach of the national team.
Read More: Bafana move up FIFA rankings after amazing run at World Cup
