JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa's message to Bafana Bafana is clear: go to Mexico, play your hearts out and win.
Ramaphosa said the cup is Bafana's for the taking.
He was speaking in Pretoria after Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos announced his final Bafana Bafana squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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Beaming with pride and joy, Ramaphosa said for the first time in more than two decades, the Bafana Bafana have already written their names into the proud sporting history of our country.
“Fellow South Africans are not satisfied with just qualifying alone. No, we do not want group stages. We do not want early exits. We do not want to hear the words eliminated or bowing out. We want to see you compete with courage, determination and belief until the very end,” he said.
Ramaphosa said he does not doubt that the boy will make the country proud.
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“As I shook your hands, I could feel a very firm handshake from each one of you. And I looked into your eyes, I could see real fiery determination. And that told me that you're going to the FIFA World Cup in Mexico, the United States and Canada to play your hearts out and to play the best soccer, the best football ever,” he said.