President Cyril Ramaphosa has laid down the ultimate incentive for Bafana Bafana ahead of their departure for North America, promising the nation a day off if Hugo Broos' men lift the trophy on 19 July. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has urged Bafana Bafana to make the most of their return to the Fifa World Cup next month, while promising the nation a public holiday should the team win the tournament.
Ramaphosa hosted Bafana Bafana for a send-off dinner ahead of the global showpiece, which will be held in Mexico, the US and Canada next month, at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, coach Hugo Broos used the occasion to announce his final 26-man squad, trimming the preliminary 32-player list. Brandon Petersen, Thabiso Monyane, Thapelo Morena, Patrick Mswanganyi, Brooklyn Poggenpoel and Lebohang Maboe were among those omitted. In his keynote address, Ramaphosa said the country’s 62 million people were united behind Broos’ squad ahead of the World Cup and urged the players to seize the opportunity.
“History has presented this generation of Bafana Bafana with a rare opportunity: to rise again and reclaim South Africa’s place among the elite in world football. So, we ask you to do one thing: seize the moment. This is your moment, and South Africa’s moment,” Ramaphosa said.
Bafana will return to the World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010 and are aiming to reach the knockout stages for the first time in their fourth appearance.
Ramaphosa urged the team to achieve that feat, adding that if they went all the way and defied the odds, he would declare a public holiday.
“I will be there when you lift the trophy on July 19, and I will gladly declare it a public holiday,” Ramaphosa said. “So, South Africans, you can be sure that another unexpected holiday is coming.”
There odds for SA to win the tournament are a long shot, however, with bookmakers. Bafana are one of the teams' least likely to do so with 1000/1 odds.