Quest for Qatar
The quest for a return to the World Cup begins in September for South Africa, who last qualified for the finals 20 years ago, although played as hosts in 2010.
On the back of botched qualification for 2021 African Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon, a successful bid for a place in Qatar is now even more imperative for the growth of the game in the country.
Professional football continues to chug along but, in a stagnant economy, sponsorship is drying up and the future wellbeing of the sport is under threat. The excitement around the game is a far cry from past years when it dominated the agenda.
There is also the psyche of the nation to consider after so many recent setbacks, notably the COVID-19 pandemic, the endless pilfering of the public pot and the pervasive poverty that still permeates throughout the land.
South Africa is in need of a tonic and Bafana Bafana can provide it, by booking a berth in the world’s greatest show.
But first the team must get through a four-team group with Ethiopia, Ghana and Zimbabwe, where only the winner advances to the last stage of qualifying, which is a two-legged play-off tie against one
