Delron Buckley: Bafana’s comradery helped them qualify for the World Cup

Bafana finished the World Cup Qualifiers top of their group with 18 points, despite FIFA deducting three points for fielding Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena in the qualifier against Lesotho in March, after he had received a yellow card in their previous match.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Buckley believes that coach Hugo Broos has done a great job in creating brotherhood amongst the players, which he assumes will help the team on the world stage.

“We are all excited about Bafana’s qualification to the World Cup, you can see how those boys play, they really deserve it. Also, they made history because it’s been 24 years since we last qualified for the World Cup,” Buckley said.

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“I also love how the technical team believes in young players because young talent presented themselves very well in this team. It was always clear, to be honest, that they would qualify.

“They did really well in the last AFCON, showing us quality. There’s also comradery amongst the players, if they keep that mentality going, they will continue to do well. “They need to keep that mentality in the AFCON as well as the World Cup because the pressure is going to be there, so they will need that.”

The former Arminia Bielefeld winger, who is now the ambassador of the club, celebrated the Day of German Unity at the residence of the German Ambassador to South Africa where he presented the Bundesliga trophy to people and also gave away a signed Bielefeld jersey to one lucky winner.

The Durbanite believes that the football relations between the countries are very important for each nation to learn from the next.

“What a significant day, wow, when the wall fell down and the two parts of Germany came together.

“I am very connected to German culture. Also having the honour to present the Bundesliga Shield and also presenting a signed shirt was amazing,” he added.

“The work that a club like Bielefeld is doing here in South Africa is very important for learning and hearing more about Bundesliga strategies that can be implemented in the country.”