Shabba calls for national unity ahead of Bafana Bafana’s World Cup campaign

Speaking at the send-off party, organised by sponsors Castle Lager at the Wanderers Cricket stadium yesterday, Tshabalala says that for the duration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the fans should focus on the national team. 

His remarks follow negative reactions from a section of fans after their favourite players were left out of the team.

"I think it's important that we understand that this is national duty. The coaches have made their calls and selected the squad, we have to respect that and support the boys. Yes we have different opinions about some of the selections, but at the end of the day, we need to back the final squad."

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With less than two weeks until the opening game against Mexico, Shabba also assesses Bafana Bafana’s chances in a tough Group A, which includes South Korea and Czechia, and notes the possibility of three teams making it to the knockout phase, depending on the third-placed team’s points tally.

"It's a tough group, although it may look easier than the others on paper, but it's not. You have teams that don't have a lot of big names, and that should be a worry and shows that you need to prepare well for each and every individual opponent.

"Mexico will be all hyped up in the first game and they'll be playing with more passion knowing that their whole country is behind them."

Whilst the focus has been on the opening game in Mexico City’s famous Azteca stadium against the hosts on the 11th of next month, Shabba highlighted that the aerial strength of the Czech’s and World Cup experience of the hard-running Koreans can’t be underestimated...

Tshabalala, the scorer of the opening goal of the 2010 World Cup, which has earned him worldwide attention in the last 16 years, still has fond memories of that glorious strike, which remains the biggest talking point till today.