Bafana Bafana legend Doctor Khumalo has emphasised that securing a spot in the World Cup has a significance that extends far beyond football, bringing with it other benefits for the country.
South Africa booked their ticket for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday after beating Rwanda 3-0.
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Bafana qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 2002.
Khumalo says World Cup is a stage where SA players will get a rare opportunity to showcase their talent to the global football market.
He further noted that qualifying for the continental showpiece means political and economic benefits for the country.
“World Cup is a big stage, one of the prestigious tournaments,” said Khumalo.
“It’s every player’s dream to play at the World Cup because sometimes you expose your talent, that’s where you can be scouted because of competing with the best.
“But above all, there’s so much that World Cup possess. I remember the former president Madiba [Dr Nelson Mandela], he said before we played Congo-Brazzaville in 1997, he said qualify for France [1998 World Cup] for me to have an opportunity to speak to the rest of the world.
“So, we were like, ‘How that will happen because we’re playing soccer?’ But also, there’s political side of it and business side of it. When you play this tournament, you send a strong message about this country.
“Within qualifying, our own SAFA also gets money to develop football. This is an unbelievable opportunity.”
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