The deep emotional attachment and history that Bafana Bafana hero Thapelo Morena shares with the people of Free State pushed him to perform at his utmost best during a key 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe.
Introduced as a second-half substitute, Morena scored a brace as South Africa claimed an emphatic 3-1 victory over the neighbours on Tuesday at an electric Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.
Iqraam Rayners scored the other Bafana goal inside the first minute of the clash while Zimbabwe’s equaliser came from the exciting youngster Tawanda Chirewa immediately after in the second minute.
This was the first time in 14 years that Bafana hosted an international fixture in the Free State province and the reception they received from supporters created a nostalgic moment for Morena.
“I think firstly coming into Bloem is something different, the feeling is amazing, and I also told the guys that when you get to Bloem you are going to have supporters,” said Morena to the media after the game.
“We just had to work very hard and give them a good on the pitch.”
📽️ 🅸🅲🆈🅼🅸 📽️
— SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) June 12, 2024
Bafana Bafana registered a 3⃣➖1⃣ victory over Zimbabwe in their FIFA World Cup Qualifier match in Bloemfontein!#SABCSportFootball #2026WCQ pic.twitter.com/K7zAt2wZGK
The Randfontein-born star played at least three years for Bloemfontein Celtic at Free State Stadium and Dr Molemela Stadium before he secured a move to Mamelodi Sundowns in 2016.
“Ja, for me it was very emotional because I played here and have a lot of history in this stadium and even at the Dr Molemela Stadium. So, I had to (do) my level best to give everything they knew about me,” he said.
Morena also spoke about how starting on the bench never demoralised him but allowed him to study the game, enabling him to excel in the role of being an impact player.
“Like the coach (Hugo Broos) said, every player is important and even when you are sitting on the bench you can see the match differently because you have the side view.
“Obviously, you can hear the instructions from the coaches (to the players on the pitch).
“I think the most important thing is to stay focused and believe you are going to get a chance to play, and you’ll deliver.”
⭐️ 𝕄𝔸ℕ 𝕆𝔽 𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝕄𝔸𝕋ℂℍ ⭐️
— SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) June 11, 2024
🗣️ "𝘞𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭..."
Bafana Bafana defender Thapelo Morena!
🇿🇦 3⃣➖1⃣ 🇿🇼#SABCSportFootball #2026WCQ pic.twitter.com/Ga5qEKpqLM
