The good start of Bafana Bafana under coach Pitso Mosimane bodes well for SA's football future, with hopes of qualifying for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations amplified.
Though it might be too early to start popping the champagne with more qualifiers still coming, the 100% record points to a team full of promise.
Bafana Bafana beat Guinea and Eritrea to currently top group D and emerge as one of the favourites to book a ticket to the Afcon finals in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in June 2027.
After a shaky start against Guinea before they sailed through with a 2-1 win, Mosimane’s troops destroyed Eritrea 5-0 in one of their biggest victories in a long time.
But it was the win over continental powerhouses Egypt in a friendly in their own Cairo backyard that convinced the naysayers that the team was on course to continue with the good run it enjoyed under Mosimane’s predecessor, Hugo Broos.
Though the win was not pretty as Bafana Bafana endured long spells of dominance by the Pharaohs, the smash and grab triumph was a huge morale-booster for the team.
Beating a team which went to the last 16 in the recent World Cup before being eliminated by former champions Argentina was a statement of intent.
Detractors will point to the weak group SA are in and rubbish the wins as being expected, with the match against Kenya still coming up.
This was worsened by Eritrea coach Hesham Yakan’s remarks after the 5-0 drubbing when he said he did not even know some of his players due to the limited time he had with them.
Labelling SA as a top side, Yakan insisted his young and inexperienced players were completely overwhelmed to share a playing field with Bafana Bafana.
But Mosimane’s troops still had to do the job and they ensured that there would be none of the surprises other big teams had encountered in their own qualifiers, such as Nigeria's stunning 3-0 loss to Guinea-Bissau.
They will be expected to continue with the form when they welcome the Benni McCarthy-coached Kenya on November 11.
Already McCarthy has labelled his side as underdogs, with discontent over his tenure growing amid an unsatisfying run after losing to Guinea and drawing against Eritrea.
There is no doubt that Kenya will come prepared to cause an upset, especially under McCarthy, who remains Bafana Bafana’s leading goal-scorer.
However, Mosimane should know that mere qualifying for the Afcon finals is no longer an achievement, and winning it will become the goal.
So far, so good!