Bafana Bafana are giving fans around the country a reason for hope in troubling times off the pitch, writes WADE PRETORIUS.

Let’s face it, Safa are not installing any sense of confidence with the continuous delays in announcing the new coach. Another reality is that they are nowhere closer to find Shakes Mashaba’s successor than they were this time last month when their esteemed panel set about looking for the man to lead the national team to the World Cup finals in Russia. The less said, or written, about Safa’s bumbling regarding the new coach the better.

The PSL? Well, they are not exactly getting straight As either. Crowd attendance remains dismally low, fan violence has spiked alarmingly and the scheduling of fixtures this season, albeit in trying circumstances, has been less than ideal.

Football, and all sport really, is meant to be a fan’s escape from reality. 90 minutes of indulgence before the worries of the world kick in. Football cannot live in a bubble and needs fans to complete the chain that makes it lucrative to sponsors, who in turn boost team’s coffers and create a strong competition.

The demise of Moroka Swallows serves as a stark reminder of what can go wrong and very quickly if the right structures aren’t put in place.

Amidst all the doom and gloom, there is a glimmer of hope. Bafana Bafana, who are on a run of 17 games unbeaten and still in with an outside chance of boarding the plane to Russia next year. But more important than that run or the results they’ve achieved since October 2015, is the players currently in the squad.

Itumeleng Khune, Andile Jali, Dean Furman, Erick Mathoho and Thulani Hlatshwayo provide the backbone. You could put Rivaldo Coetzee in that bunch too and he’s only 20 years old – part of the legacy left by Mashaba. Add the likes of Keagan Dolly, Phakamani Mahlambi, Percy Tau and Luther Singh and all of sudden the infamous, in my books anyway, ‘Vision 2022’ is right on track. I’d argue that that is more down to the players performing well as individuals and then as part of the national setup than the fruits of hardwork done by those in the boardroom at Safa house.

There are many more players that haven’t been listed but serve as further evidence that the national team is on the right track and with each passing game, developing their games to a higher standard.

One can’t stop and wonder if the team was being coached by a permanent, top quality mentor how good they could be. But for now, they are doing a fantastic job in trying circumstances and long may it continue.

Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images