‘We cannot be outdone by rugby and cricket all the time,’ stated the former Bafana striker.
Shaun Bartlett is uninterested in seeing Bafana Bafana reside in the shadows of world rugby champions the Springboks and the nationwide cricket workforce the Proteas.
The legendary striker was a part of a profitable Bafana workforce in a interval the place South Africa have been topped African champions in 1996 and secured back-to-back world cup {qualifications} in 1998 and 2002.
Bafana will start their quest to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with difficult assignments in opposition to Benin at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday adopted by a visit to Rwanda.
The workforce has made progress beneath Hugo Broos after securing qualification to subsequent yr’s Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, however Bartlett believes Bafana have the skill to compete in opposition to the greatest in the world.
“We have worked very hard to qualify for the AFCON next year. The World Cup qualifiers are coming up and it’s important for us to get that under our belt as well,” he stated in an interview with Phakaaathi.
“It’s been some time since we’ve been to a World Cup. So we’d like this and we are able to’t be outdone by rugby and cricket all the time. We have sufficient expertise on this nation and sufficient skill so as to get us to the World Cup.
“It’s been disappointing over the last few years and we can’t keep saying that we are rebuilding because we’ve got enough talent to get us into the next stage.”
A name for extra help
The former Charlton Athletic striker has additionally known as on the public to help the workforce of their pursuit of a World Cup berth in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
“It’s easy to say that we need to bring back that invincibility when playing at home but we can only do that with the support of the fans also,” he stated.
“Because it’s been disappointing to watch a few of the video games and there aren’t even a couple of 1000’s in stands to watch the sport. It is nationwide delight and you may see it with different sporting codes that even after they undergo a droop, followers nonetheless help them.
“I think we should do the same as former players and Bafana Bafana legends to go with the fans and support the players because that’s all they need at this moment in time in order to overcome what they are going through. With time I think everyone will understand that it will come together and it’s all about timing. I think this is our time to qualify (for the World Cup) and to really go far in the AFCON tournament.”
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