The proverbial kick up the butt has worked wonders for Bafana Bafana's African Nations Championship (CHAN) campaign, which kicked off in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
In the past, Safa ignored invitations to participate in the CHAN tournaments, which are played outside the regular Fifa window. CHAN is restricted exclusively to locally based players and is designed to benefit smaller countries by exposing their players to international competition.
Safa's usual excuse for not entering a team was that PSL clubs would not release their players for various reasons. However, the primary reason was the long-standing feud between arch-rivals Danny Jordaan, the Safa president, and Irvin Khoza, the chairman of the PSL.
The PSL wouldn't do anything that enhances the standing of Safa, the guardians of the national team, Bafana Bafana. Some of the PSL's spoiling tactics included scheduling matches as close as possible to the Fifa window. As a result, players would arrive exhausted for national camps, with many carrying injuries sustained in recent matches.
The PSL has also flatly refused to release players, even those who rarely make their clubs' matchday squads. At other times, PSL clubs have denied players permission to attend camps, even after failing to raise objections at the time of the squad announcement.
This time, however, there was a dramatic about-turn by the PSL following a warning from CAF president Patrice Motsepe, who threatened to ban Safa if they failed to participate in CHAN, the second-tier CAF competition.
Once Safa confirmed their participation, the selectors chose a squad from the best available players without opting for Premiership players who are not regulars at their clubs. Additionally, Safa appointed a dedicated coach for CHAN, allowing Bafana Bafana's regular technical staff to focus on the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
In his warning, Motsepe urged Safa and the PSL to collaborate in fielding a CHAN team. Safa president Jordaan is an adviser to the CAF president, and he would not do anything to jeopardise that relationship. Motsepe sponsors the First Division, and Khoza would not risk losing that support, especially since Motsepe stepped in to help when Khoza was seeking a replacement for GladAfrica as the First Division sponsor.
This newfound cooperation between the two warring factions has resulted in Bafana Bafana fielding a side capable of making an impact. The squad included the controversial Orlando Pirates star Monnapule Saleng, who has fallen out of favor with the club due to a salary dispute.
As a key Pirates player left on the sidelines, Saleng would typically not have been allowed to play. At the time of the squad announcement, some fans doubted Pirates would release him. However, he played well against Egypt on Sunday, despite being out of action for two months.
Saleng produced a moment of brilliance when he scored a header with an acrobatic effort late in the second half, though it was ruled offside. It was satisfying to see him enjoy the match, wearing a smile for most of the game.
With 90 minutes of playing time under his belt, he'll be the side's lethal weapon in the second leg against Egypt on Sunday. It was equally encouraging to see the talented Neo Maema back in action, as he has also fallen out of favor at Sundowns.
Another standout player was Jamie Webber, the skilled Sekhukhune United midfielder who was recently signed by American club FC Tulsa. He scored a stunning goal from outside the box, helping Bafana Bafana secure a draw.
Webber is certainly one to watch in Sunday's return leg in Egypt.