Next week this time we’ll be paaping or convinced that Bafana Bafana have what it takes to go all the way to Qatar.
Hugo Broos’s manne host Zimbabwe on Thursday before heading off to Ghana for what should be a straight, winner-takes-it-all shootout for top spot in Group G and the right to advance to the playoffs.
And such is the Belgian’s success since coming in for Molefi Ntseki in May, that there is now belief in the national team.
Maybe you’re not ready to believe – it’s the hope that kills, after all.
But Bafana are unbeaten in 11 games, winning eight of those in the process, and that form has taken them to the top of their World Cup qualifying group ahead of the two final games.
And it’s all been done with a number of players who were basically unknowns to the vast majority of football watchers here at home.
But this column is not about how we got to this point. “Are we ready to kick on from here?” is the real question.
Up until now, this young Bafana side have played with hunger and the discipline needed to get to where they are.
And Broos has been unearthing some real talent and the future looks bright.
I just wonder if his gambles are going to pay off just now.
I believe he has set himself up for another big win on his talent search with this latest squad selection.
But at the same time bringing in the new faces he did in the vital position he did could make or break Bafana’s chances of advancing to the 10-team playoffs.
Once again, we’re talking about the anchorman in midfield.
Mothiba Mvala has been the man at No.6 for the last few games. But the Mamelodi Sundowns man, who scored in the 3-1 win over Ethiopia in the last international break, has not been included this time around.
We have spoken about alternatives, with his Downs teammate Rivaldo Coetzee being the most obvious pick on the domestic front.
But the man Broos selected is a 22-year old who is yet to be capped – Sphelelo Sithole.
Now before we get into profiling the player, let me just let you in on what the role in the team he has been earmarked for is.
The defensive midfield area is massively important.
If you look around the game, we have the likes of N’Golo Kante, Joshua Kimmich, Sergio Busquests and Fabinho picked out as among the best in the role.
On the flip side, there is Fred and Scott McTominay doing the job in tandem at Manchester United. And we all know how well that’s going.
So now we know that this is basically the foundation of the team.
They operate as a screen for the defence, ball recovery in midfield and then recycling possession into the attacking phase.
And with one-one-one battles against Zim’s Aston Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba and the Black Stars’ Arsenal enforcer Thomas Partey, this challenge is going to be massive.
So Broos is throwing Sithole into the deep end here.
Does our man have what it takes to swim with the sharks or is he in over his head?
His Portuguese club Belenenses and coach Petit – a former Portugal international defensive midfielder – seems to think he is the one.
He signed him from Setubal after Sporting Lisbon let him go.
And last season, Sithole shone so bright that Ligue 1 champions Lille were keen on bringing in the Durbanite to replace Leicester-bound Boubakary Soumare in the off-season.
Nicknamed “Yaya” after four-time African Footballer of the Year Toure, you start to get the picture of this laaitie’s potential.
With a similar physical presence to the Ivorian.
legend, Sithole also models his game on one of the Prem’s most effective box-to-box midfielders.
Now here is the crux of the gamble that coach Broos is taking with Sithole – we are going to need the positional discipline in midfield to win the battle there.
Sure it’s a bonus if the player can drive the team forward and join the attack, but his primary job is going to be to stop opposition attacks.
I’m going to give Broos credit for building this team, but these final two games have huge stakes riding on them and you just feel that this one role is going to be absolutely crucial.
Look, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself with Bafana so close to the promised land, considering that this team has only been playing together for 11 games and it’s full of new faces – only Ronwen Williams, Sifiso Hlanti and Percy Tau have over 20 caps.
But I also feel that we’re in too deep to waste this opportunity.
Hopefully Broos’s risk will be worth the reward in the end.
Uncapped Bafana youngster Sithole central to Qatar push.