The single sharpest fact in one or two punchy sentences. Who did what, where, when, and why it matters. Not a summary of everything — the one thing that makes someone stop scrolling. A reader who only reads this paragraph must understand what happened.

You'd have to be living under a rock not to have been infected by the outpouring of joy at the South African soccer team's first entry into the knockout stages of the World Cup. But I was determined to boycott this edition of the world's most famous sporting event. FIFA and its odious leader have shown complete abandonment of anything remotely ethical. From giving the orange ogre a peace prize to absolute spinelessness in allowing him to bully fans from countries he doesn't like, they have sullied the beautiful game. I confess, the times at which most of the games are televised make it a little easier.

But here's the thing: soccer played well is a thing of beauty and passion, and when Bafana Bafana, our national team, showed glimpses of what they could do, I modified my protest.

Even Pope Leo has gotten in on the action and shared reflections earlier this year on the value of sport. In a letter published in February, he references Thomas Aquinas (Saint Thomas, mind you) who said that the virtuous life concerns not only work but time for games and rest. Augustine (another saint) is quoted: “I pray thee, spare thyself at times: for it becomes a wise man sometimes to relax the high pressure of his attention to work”.

So after Bafana beat South Korea to advance out of the group stages, I donned my yellow team jersey – an old one from 2009 with the silly three-quarter length sleeves – and ventured to my meetings filled with pride. And I reminisced about so many great moments of sporting drama I've been privileged to witness.

I was there when the late Phil Masinga took us to our first World Cup in 1998 with a cracker goal at Soccer City stadium against Congo. We were sitting right behind the net as it bulged with a cannonball fired from outside the box.

And in 1996, the same venue had me in the "extra strong" seats (that side of the stadium with no cover and facing the afternoon sun) watching Mark Williams get his brace and win us the African Cup of Nations (Afcon) for the first and, sadly, only time thus far. We got drenched by the rain at one of the games leading to that final, and I remain eternally grateful to the guys selling nips of brandy outside the stadium.

We froze in the winter of 2010, the first World Cup on African soil. The chill of an early exit from the tournament by our boys was eased by the excellence of the Black Stars of Ghana. They warmed our hearts with hope that an African team could achieve greatness on the world stage. We got really hot under the collar at the cheating of a certain Uruguayan with sharp teeth as his handball denied Ghana a first semi-final appearance. We renamed them BaGhana BaGhana as they represented the hopes of a continent.

Despite the Confederation of African Football (CAF) destroying what credibility they had by overturning results on the pitch and taking the Afcon title away from Senegal, I still regard Morocco as standard-bearers of our continent and one of the best soccer teams in the world. They famously became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals at the 2022 World Cup, and are showing signs of going far in this one.

This meander down memory lane has been good for my soul this week, and helped dilute the stresses of a world in so much pain and dysfunction. I'm paying attention to Leo's teachings that sport can help foster better understanding between each other, and help to build a better and more peaceful world.

And that it is good for my person to engage with the excitement and competition for glory by these talented young men. To quote again from Leo's letter, “Actions done for diversion are not directed to any external end; but merely to the good of one who does them, in so far as they afford him pleasure or relaxation.”

The victory by Bafana has allowed me to step away from the impassioned debates and scapegoating that are blighting our society these days to find the beauty of human connection in sport. It's difficult to always be occupied by the challenges of our time, and what better way to dilute them than to allow the mind to recall and celebrate the many great achievements of Africans on the world stage.

### Key Facts

  • Bafana Bafana has advanced to the knockout stages of the World Cup
  • Pope Leo wrote a letter on the value of sport in February
  • Thomas Aquinas said the virtuous life concerns not only work but time for games and rest
  • Augustine said a wise man should relax his attention to work at times
  • Bafana Bafana beat South Korea to advance out of the group stages
  • The Black Stars of Ghana warmed our hearts with hope that an African team could achieve greatness on the world stage
  • Morocco is standard-bearers of our continent and one of the best soccer teams in the world
  • They famously became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals at the 2022 World Cup