Let’s show Nigeria what true support means
Safa and the PSL have both been previously accused of favouring certain cities over others when it came to choosing venues for big games. It is fair that some people will feel they are being excluded and denied a chance to host big games which at times become more than just about the match itself but an event with festivities starting well before matchday and sometimes continuing past it.
There was recently an outcry when the PSL took the MTN8 final to Durban with many asking why the coastal city was always getting finals while other cities who have suitable stadiums which were built for the World Cup in 2010 are ignored.
That debate has been going on for a long time. The PSL obliged last season and took the Nedbank Cup final to Cape Town and the people complained it was too far – which goes to prove you can never satisfy everyone.
Safa had been doing well in taking Bafana to various cities around the country but were accused of denying Gauteng people their chance to see Bafana. They obliged with the last two Caf Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers and decided to host both Seychelles and Nigeria at the FNB Stadium.
To say the turn-out for the first match last month was disappointing would be an understatement – I think there were more people
Sibongiseni Gumbi
in the Mall of Africa than there were at the FNB on the day. The rain may also have played a role but that match was just too good to not watch. It was expected that Bafana would cruise past and set themselves up for easy qualification for Cameroon 2019.
And they did. They routed Seychelles 6-0 and one can only just imagine how much of a celebration it would have been af- terwards had the match been in Bloemfontein or Durban – the two cities where supporters are still fanatical about the game.
As painful as it is to mention this, one has to. Bafana went on to fumble in Seychelles where they were supposed to wrap things up but ended up being held to a draw. That result has made Bafana’s next qualifier against Nigeria’s Super Eagles a must-win, which means a big crowd will be needed.
There is already banter going around that the Super Eagles will have more supporters in the stands than Bafana. I just hope this remains the joke it started as. Nigerians have already been dominating us for so long I could not take them doing it at our own backyard in terms of supporter base.
While one understands that Safa took these games to Joburg because they felt we would be celebrating our qualification and it is easier to organise entertainers at the FNB as they would save on accommodation fees but it has not worked out well.
You will know I am always a sceptic when it comes to Bafana but this time they really need you and I. I know they have disappointed us countless times but it still hurts us whether we were there or we watched on TV. So let us go out on November 17 and show those Nigerians they cannot have more support than Bafana in their own home.