₦airaland Forum

There have been calls from within South Africa for the Bafana Bafana to be excluded from the 2026 World Cup

South African politician Julius Malema has called on Bafana Bafana to withdraw from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in protest against a sweeping United States visa ban.

The outspoken EFF leftist-leader insists Africa cannot treat global football as “business as usual” amid policies he believes discriminate against the continent.
Malema urges SAFA to boycott World Cup in America

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) president Julius Malema has sparked widespread debate after urging the South African Football Association (SAFA) to pull Bafana Bafana out of the World Cup scheduled to be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

In recent commentary, Malema said, “South Africa, Bafana Bafana must officially withdraw, SAFA must take a decision to withdraw from having anything to do with the World Cup that is taking place in America.”

The fiery politician, known for his radical positions, doubled down on his stance by calling for a total boycott of the United States. “We must boycott the World Cup in America and boycott anything that has got to do with America because we cannot sit back and allow a person to destabilise the world and it becomes business as usual,” he added.

Malema, a former ANC Youth League president who founded the EFF in 2013, has long positioned himself as a vocal critic of Western policies he views as oppressive to African nations.

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https://www.pulsesports.ng/football/story/south-africa-must-withdraw-from-the-world-cup-calls-rise-for-bafana-bafana-to-be-excluded-from-showpiece-2026011712544857682

If you develop your country, you will give no damn about what America does

This is never going to happen. This is just the EFF protesting the visa ban, not the entire country. The headline makes it look so.

insidelife22:
If you develop your country, you will give no damn about what America does

That's not the case here. Countries boycott sporting tournaments in protest of certain events. It has nothing to do with your country. After all, Russian athletes are banned from some competitions for no fault of theirs.