Bafana Bafana standout attacker Teboho Mokoena riled up social media when he professed his admiration for EFF leader Julius Malema, on Wednesday.
Teboho Mokoena comments about Julius Malema get mixed reactions
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The national football team received a hero’s welcome at OR Tambo International Airport when they walked out of the arrivals terminal to meet a sea of fans clad in EFF regalia.
During an address, MC’d by Andile Ncube, Mokoena did not hold his breath in admiring Malema, referring to the EFF commander-in-chief as his “favourite president in the country.”
Much of Mokoena’s appreciation, which may be a sentiment shared by the rest of the team, stems from the EFF’s unrelenting calls for the South African Football Association (SAFA) and the national government to prioritise Bafana Bafana’s ambitions in the same vein Springboks are lauded.
When the boys were eliminated by the Super Eagles in an intense AFCON 2023 semifinal fixture, no word was heard from President Cyril Ramaphosa about the valiant effort Bafana Bafana put to make it that far in the tournament.
However, Malema, a marksman in timing and execution, was one of the first political leaders to applaude the squad. In particular, the EFF leader championed Grant Kekana, who was sent off for a harsh foul on Terem Moffi in extra time.
“Well done, my boy. A soldier must die with his boots on,” Malema tweeted at the time.
Kekana reciprocated Malema’s cheers, referring to the EFF leader as, “My President.”
There will be no trophy tour for Bafana Bafana, unfortunately. But for head coach Hugo Broos, it’s back to the drawing board to prepare for FIFA World Cup qualifiers with a version of a squad that exceeded his expectations.
“[Beating DR Congo] was a moment of intense joy, because it was a tough game. Before, we played Morocco and you’re not sure if you’re going to win it. We played a fantastic game and the emotions were too big at that moment. All over it was good. We played a good game and the support from the country was amazing. I’m very proud of this team. This is a fantastic team,” Broos told reporters at OR Tambo.
