On the Mark with Mark Gleeson

It should be something of a conundrum for Bafana Bafana but coach Hugo Broos was unambiguous about what he would prefer.

Playing at altitude on the Highveld should be a major advantage for the national team when they host international opposition. There are many examples of past games where the thin air has taken the fight out of an opponent and handed the South African side a major advantage.

But for too long, the crowds on the Reef have been poor. Yes, there were full houses at Soccer City when Bafana won the 1996 Cup of Nations finals, but only from the quarterfinal onwards, and then sporadically for showpiece fixtures thereafter, like against Brazil, Spain, and naturally, the 2010 World Cup opener.

But there have been many other matches of consequence played in Johannesburg or Pretoria where the turnout was disappointing. One that springs to mind is the match in May 2001 against Zimbabwe at Soccer City to ensure a place at the 2002 World Cup. Incredibly, only 15 000 pitched that day to watch South Africa book their place.

Durban, too, has had a glut of national team fixtures where the attendance could have been a lot better.

This year we have rediscovered that there are many other places around the country with a healthy appetite to see Bafana in action.

There was an excellent turnout in Bloemfontein in June for the World Cup qualifying win over Zimbabwe and again in Gqeberha last month when the crowd at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium were treated to a five-goal festival as Bafana demolished Congo.

The Cape Town Stadium was sold out on Tuesday for the 3-0 win over South Sudan which confirmed South Africa first in their 2025 Cup of Nations qualifying group.

This then begged the question of coach Broos: “Would you prefer the advantage of altitude or playing in the provinces where the crowds are better?”

The response was swift and unequivocal. “Give me a full house any day,” said the Belgian.

Players play better with their sails given wind by the backing of the crowd. Nothing is more soul-destroying than a paltry crowd, he continued.

A winning side should attract followers everywhere but the message to the South African Football Association is clear that the national team needs to move around more and show itself to citizens all over the country.