Dean Furman did not mince words. The former Bafana Bafana captain called South Africa's World Cup opener against Mexico a "nightmare from start to finish," saying the team were "miles off it" from the first whistle.
The performance has sparked a particular kind of attention back home and across the continent. Fans are tuning in not exactly with hope, but with the compulsive, almost morbid focus of people who simply cannot look away. Call it what it is: hate-watching. Bafana Bafana have inspired that specific brand of loyalty where criticism and devotion live in the same breath.
Furman's words carry weight given his history with the national side. When a former captain says his team were miles off the pace, it is not a hot take. It is a verdict. The question now is whether the squad can find a response before the tournament slips entirely out of reach.
Originally published by BBC Africa.