Three days ago Orlando Stadium wanted to know what the new Bafana looked like. It got an answer, and it was not a comfortable one. Fluit’s Five for Tuesday: the five things worth knowing before the week turns.
1. The Big One: Mosimane’s Bafana get over the line
South Africa 2, Guinea 1. Orlando Stadium, Saturday afternoon, and Pitso Mosimane’s first competitive match in charge.
Okon put Bafana ahead on the half hour. Guinea drew level just after the hour, and for a while this looked like the kind of afternoon that follows a new coach around for months. Then Kabini settled it on 77.
It matters more than three points. Kenya qualify automatically as co-hosts, so Group D effectively offers one ticket and South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea are all chasing it. Drop points at home in the opener and the maths turns ugly fast. Bafana did not.
Next up is the other side of that same argument. Eritrea play South Africa tomorrow at 18:00 SAST at the Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo, Eritrea using a neutral venue in Egypt. Win that and Mosimane has six points from six before October.
2. The Matchday Move: the Proteas have already won it
South Africa beat Australia by 32 runs at the Wanderers on Sunday, and that is the series. Two nil with one to play.
It was not a grind. South Africa put up 365 for 9, Australia came back with 333 before folding in the 50th over, and for most of the evening the chase looked live. Jack Edwards took the first five-wicket haul of his List A career and still finished on the losing side.
The third one is tomorrow at Potchefstroom, day-night, from 13:30. Dead rubber on paper. Nobody tells the crowd that.
3. The Talking Point: a cup final with nowhere to play
The MTN8 final is Mamelodi Sundowns against Orlando Pirates on 10 October. Eleven days away.
As of Saturday the PSL had not announced where it will be played. Not on its own MTN8 page, not anywhere official. Reporting points at Moses Mabhida, which africasoccer.com notes has staged seven of the last ten finals, but pointing is not announcing.
Two of the biggest clubs in the country, a trophy on the line, and supporters who need to book travel cannot. At what point does the silence become the story?
4. The Stat That Matters: 142
David Miller’s score at the Wanderers, a career best, made in a 156-run fourth-wicket stand with Temba Bavuma, who got a hundred of his own.
Miller has built a career on finishing innings rather than anchoring them. This was the biggest score of that career, made with the captain at the other end doing the patient half of the work.
5. The One to Watch: all four in one weekend
Round 2 of the URC puts every South African side on the field inside 24 hours. Edinburgh host the Stormers on Friday night at 20:45. Then Saturday: the Lions against the Ospreys at Ellis Park at 13:45, the Sharks against Leinster at Kings Park at 18:30, and Munster against the Bulls at Thomond Park at 20:45. All times SAST.
Leinster in Durban is the one. Bring a chair.
So: a new era with its first win, a series wrapped up early, and a cup final nobody can find. Which of those will we still be talking about in a month?