Bafana ready to fulfil World Cup dreams on hallowed turf

Bafana Bafana must harness the abundance of positive energy being generated by diehard fans as the kickoff of their compelling opening World Cup showdown against Mexico on June 11 draws closer.

This emotional groundswell of support will reach a deafening crescendo when Bafana return to soccer’s biggest stage in Mexico City after a long absence.

Unlike in previous years when SA’s matches attracted sparse crowds on home soil, a new level of optimism was on show when 50,000 vibrant fans turned up to watch the national team play Panama in a friendly match in Cape Town.

Though SA slid to a 2-1 defeat, the crowd remained resolutely behind their heroes until the final whistle.

Of all the historic footballing cathedrals in world football, the venue that will host SA’s return to the global extravaganza ranks among the most storied.

The vast 83,000-capacity Estadio Azteca has hosted football’s most famous players and historic games in its time.

Among the standout games was the 1970 World Cup final between an all-conquering Brazilian team and Italy in a match which captivated fans around the globe.

A few years later, the stadium hosted an enthralling final in 1986 between Argentina and West Germany.

Both finals live on in footballing folklore for different reasons.

The 1970 final featured arguably the world’s greatest ever player, Pelé, who starred in Brazil’s 4-1 win over Italy in front of 107,000 fans.

Sixteen years later, it was the turn of another all-time great, Diego Maradona, to strut his stuff at the iconic venue

Rated alongside Pele as one of the greatest, Maradona masterminded Argentina’s 3-2 victory over West Germany with 114,000 spellbound fans in attendance.

These days a revamped Estadio Azteca has a reduced capacity, but the atmosphere will still be electric when Bafana and Mexico take to the field.

Any player stepping onto Azteca’s hallowed turf cannot fail to be motivated as they follow in the footsteps of footballing icons Pele and Maradona.

It is almost time for Bafana’s players to make their dreams come true on hallowed turf.

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