Itumeleng Khune has urged Bafana Bafana players to control their emotions during the forthcoming 2026 Fifa World Cup matches against Mexico, Czechia and Korea Republic.
South Africa open their campaign against co-hosts Mexico at the Mexico City Stadium on Thursday, where they will be out for a good start.
The opener will be followed by other tough clashes against Czechia at Atlanta Stadium on June 18 and Korea Republic at Monterrey Stadium on June 25.
Khune is speaking from experience because he was part of the Bafana squad during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but they failed to get out of the group stages.
“Going into the biggest stage like the World Cup, you will become nervous because you don’t know what to expect from the first game,” he noted, adding that they must be meticulous in their preparations.
Bafana arrived at their base in Pachuca in Mexico on Tuesday to continue preparations, which included a friendly match against Jamaica that was played behind closed doors.
“You just have to control your emotions because each day comes with different challenges. They must make sure their preparations are as smooth as possible. For that opening match against Mexico, they must ensure that they are ready physically, emotionally and mentally,” Khune said.
South Africa’s departure from South Africa was delayed by a day and Khune shared the sentiment expressed by many people that it was not ideal.
“It is not nice being a player and knowing that you have done enough for yourself to travel and the next thing you hear there is a change of plans because visas are not ready.
“We knew a long time ago about the tournament and this should have been sorted out. It does play a negative role in their preparations for the players.”
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