The hand-painted banner draped across one of the top tiers at the magnificent Ellis Park in Johannesburg during a World Cup match last week perfectly summarised a nation's feelings: "We still love you Bafana," it read.
Barring an unlikely combination of results this afternoon, South Africa, positioned 83rd in Fifa's world rankings, will become the first host nation in the 80-year history of the tournament to fail to progress to the second round following their 3-0 defeat by Uruguay on Wednesday evening. Yet rather than showing disgust and disownment, the majority of Bafana Bafana fans appear both proud and loyal to their national team.
The South African flag continues to decorate every doorway, cars remain temporarily painted in the colours of the Rainbow Nation and residents still walk the streets come day or night dressed in the illustrious green and gold. The hosts know, if they are to have any chance of qualification, they must beat France comprehensively this afternoon in Bloemfontein, while hoping Uruguay and Mexico do not draw.
It is a large, unlikely task, but the millions of fans who have turned out across the country to cheer on their team, be it at the stadiums or at Fifa-affiliated fan parks, are adamant they will support South Africa until the end. "OK, so we didn't win, but you have got to continue backing the boys," says Andre de Villiers van der Berg, a native of Johannesburg who attended the South Africa match in Pretoria last week to see Carlos Alberto Parreira's side lose to Uruguay. "It is disappointing of course, but we played to our world ranking and there is no shame in that.
"We need to be realistic, we are already one of the best teams in cricket and rugby - we can cope with not being No 1 in football for now. It will just take a little more time." "We must stay united," says Lorraine Nzimande, who lives in Durban but travelled to Johannesburg to see her country play in the World Cup. "The players didn't turn up against Uruguay, but if they can beat France, then you never know. I hope we can do it, but if we don't I will still support Bafana Bafana because it is where I am from."
Despite electric and enthusiastic capacity turnouts at the stadiums hosting South Africa's first two games this month, there have been whispers that due to the bitterly cold winter that has hit the country and the team's near-impossible task of qualifying, fans may opt to stay at home rather than cheer on Bafana in Bloemfontein today. The local newspapers in Johannesburg and Pretoria have called for supporters to "unite", while Nelson Mandela, the country's former president, met with Parreira, the South Africa coach, and his players recently to show his support and to encourage them to perform on behalf of a partisan nation.
Jacob Zuma, the country's president, meanwhile issued a rallying cry to his compatriots. "South Africans are already winners," Zuma says. "We won on May 15, 2004 when the announcement was made, declaring us as the hosts. The whole world is looking at us and applauding our success so far. "We must continue supporting the national team, the African teams and indeed the World Cup tournament in general."
Moabi Malebye, a Johannesburg native and international hockey coach, has no doubts his countrymen will turn out in their numbers to support South Africa, and says even if they lose it will not affect enthusiasm for the remainder of the tournament. "Look, people realise this is a once-in-a-lifetime event and this is likely the last chance they will get to see South Africa play [in this tournament] so they will attend," he says. "Trust me, that stadium will be full.
"But if we don't qualify, all is not lost because I honestly believe the World Cup is helping end this country's xenophobia. "I went to the Ghana-Australia match in Rustenburg and I saw white South Africans wearing Ghana hats and scarves. Until now that has been unimaginable. People are getting behind not just South Africa but the entire continent. It's amazing." Not everybody, however, is ready to rejoice in the face of defeat. Lindsay Cammay, a volunteer working at Soccer City, wrote on her Facebook page that she would "burn her vuvuzela" if her country fails to perform against France.
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
