After securing historic qualification for the Round of 32 at the FIFA World Cup, there is renewed hope that Bafana Bafana could progress even further at the tournament as they now come up against co-hosts Canada.
It’s certainly not a bad draw for South Africa, and it will lead to a major financial windfall.
Even if Bafana are eliminated by co-hosts Canada in their upcoming knockout match this Sunday, they will leave the tournament with the $11 million (R200,750,000) performance prize allocated for teams placed 17th to 32nd.
You also can’t forget the $1.5 million USD preparation fee ((R27,375,000) that has been paid by FIFA to all 48 qualifying member associations to help cover pre-tournament logistics and training camps.
More in store for Bafana Bafana
If Hugo Broos’s men secure another historic win against Canada to march into the Round of 16, their base performance payout will jump instantly to $15 million (R273,750,000), and once you add the preparation fee to this amount, the total package would jump to R301,125,000 – officially crossing that R300 million mark.
If Bafana exit at the Round of 32 (17th–32nd place)
If Bafana exit at the Round of 16 (9th–16th place):
Dare to dream big?
Progressing to the Round of 32 is already beyond the wildest dreams of many fans, but having achieved that, moving on to the Round of 16 no longer looks beyond the realm of possibilities.
So if you dare to dream big, it’s worth considering that if South Africa pull off another historic upset and advance beyond the Round of 16 into the quarter-finals, their total guaranteed payout will jump to a massive $20.5 million (approximately R374 million).
And if Bafana can pull off an absolute miracle to reach the final four, their total payout will skyrocket to between R520 million ($28.5 million) for fourth place and a jaw-dropping R939 million ZAR ($51.5 million) if they lift the World Cup trophy.
