Can our teams bring home the bacon?

This year will be a significant one for South Africa’s three leading sporting teams. The Proteas and Springboks both compete at World Cups while Bafana Bafana are on the verge of qualifying for the continental African Cup of Nations. It is a programme that will have sports fans salivating with nonstop action on cards. The Proteas start their campaign in the opening match of the ICC World Cup against hosts England on May 30 at The Oval in London. The tournament runs until July 19.

The Cup of Nations is due to run from June 21 and also finishes on July 19.

This will be the first time the event will feature 24 countries since the decision to expand from 16 teams. Bafana will qualify for the tournament if they avoid a loss away to Libya in the final qualification match in March.

The Rugby World Cup is from September 20 to November 2 in Japan. The Boks have a cracker of a Group B opener against New Zealand on September 21 in Yokohama.

So, South African sports nuts will have wall-to-wall international entertainment from May until November.

But our participation in these kinds of tournaments always raises the usual questions.

In the case of Bafana Bafana and the Proteas, the sceptics have every right to be cynical.

Having won two World Cups already, the Springboks avoid the kind of persecution the other two codes have to endure.

The Proteas have been “nearly men” at global showpieces for almost three decades. Before every major event they talk of shedding the “choker” tag. And every time they arrive back home, they have to explain why they bottled it once again.

Bafana did famously win Afcon in 1996. Since then, however, their results and qualification attempts for big events have been dismal.

There is a sizeable expectation on Stuart Baxter’s team, firstly, to do the necessary against Libya next month, and secondly, to go on and win the tournament in Egypt.

Here is hoping 2019 brings South Africans some form of sporting joy.

Let us hope at least one of our three teams, in the Year of the Pig, brings home the bacon.