By Lwandile Hlekwayo
An injury crisis and disciplinary blow have forced Hugo Broos into a high-stakes reshuffle ahead of Bafana Bafana’s defining World Cup qualifier, with Stellenbosch duo Ashley Cupido and Thabo Moloisane handed the responsibility of helping South Africa secure automatic qualification when they host Rwanda at Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Group C standings leave South Africans in a must-win situation following a draw against Zimbabwe. Tensions are high and calculators are on the table as automatic qualification depends on a positive result and Nigeria beating Benin. The exclusion of Mbokazi and Foster is a major blow for Bafana Bafana as both have proved to be integral players in Broos’s game plan.
It is important to note that Rwanda are the only team in FIFA World Cup Qualifying CAF Group C to have beaten South Africa on the field of play during this campaign. This adds to the intensity and pressure that Bafana Bafana face on Tuesday. A path that was once clear is now clouded with uncertainty as Broos aims to secure World Cup qualification.
It is almost poetic for Broos: the team that once represented his biggest setback could now stand between him and World Cup glory. But with Foster sidelined and Mbokazi suspended, the Belgian coach must place his faith in fresh legs and hungry hearts. If Cupido and Moloisane can rise to the occasion, Tuesday’s adversity will be remembered as the turning point that galvanised a nation. If they falter, the calculators and what-ifs will haunt South African football for another four years.