11 June 2026 – As the countdown continues to the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup between Bafana Bafana and tournament co-hosts Mexico, South African Football Association (SAFA) President Dr Danny Jordaan shared his thoughts on the grand occasion that awaits the players and the country.
MESSAGE TO BAFANA BAFANA
“I spoke to the players and they’ve seen it before, and they’ve done it before. Today, we want to see commitment, passion and dedication. They must just focus. They will have 88,000 people in the stadium while we will have maybe 80 fans. But our fans are sufficient to match the noise that will come from the Mexicans. I’ve seen the Aztec Stadium when Mexico plays – you cannot talk to the person next to you.
“The noise is incredible. The excitement, the joy, the celebration of football is exceptional. So, we must be ready because our players will be in an environment they’ve never seen before. But we believe that they have sufficient experience to go through hostile environments and go into stadiums where they have no support, and yet triumph. And today we want to see that focus, and I ask them just to be focused, do your best and remember that you are equal to anybody in the world. We can deliver a result today.”
MESSAGE TO SOUTH AFRICA
“This game is a repetition of 2010, when Bafana Bafana played against Mexico in the opening match of the World Cup at home, at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. The night before, we were at a concert in Soweto and it was a wonderful celebration that generated the kind of spirit that went into the opening match. Here, without the concert, without the celebration prior to the match, the people of Mexico have embraced the match. The enthusiasm in the streets is just phenomenal. I think that after our team embraced a young boy from Mexico, in Pachuca, and the whole team signed his jersey, this single event generated a lot of goodwill amongst the Mexican people for Bafana Bafana.
“Today, we saw many South Africans arriving in Mexico and I think that this sets the stage for the opening match today. As far as our team is concerned, I think we are ready. We had three preparation matches ahead of the World Cup and I think one cannot read too much into the results of these matches, because the coach would play one team and then play a different team, substitute the entire team in the second half, or make changes because really, it was for him to see what is the quality in front of him. Today we’ll see the coach putting on the field the kind of team that will bring glory and honour to South Africa.
“I hope that we will see the kind of Bafana Bafana we saw during the run for qualification to the World Cup. I think we are the only country that qualified in spite of the fact that three points were deducted, and Bafana Bafana qualified top of the group. There’s no other team that qualified this way. While it was not something that we must boast about, it’s a reality that we are the team that has shown in the qualification, the determination, the grit, the focus and the passion that we want in the World Cup.
“We are here and today we’ll see a continuation of that kind of energy, that kind of focus, as we watch the opening match. I just want to wish them all the best.”
South African Football: The team had a memorable 2-1 victory over Mexico in the opening match of the 2010 World Cup.
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Sport Trivia: Who captained the South African 1992 Olympic squad? Answer: Oscar Chalupsky. Elana Meyer won silver in the 10000m in Barcelona. Malcolm Todd represented South Africa in archery, and Penny Heyns was the youngest member of the squad at just 17. Oscar Chalupsky is a rower/paddler and has been in the limelight in this arena since his first competition in 1979. He placed second in the Molokai World Surf Ski Championship in 2006, at the age of 43.