Oswin Appollis: From quitting football to driving Bafana’s Bafana World Cup dream

Oswin Appollis is the epitome of the adage, “It takes a community to raise a child”, as the widespread support he received has made him the player he is today.

Bafana are on the cusp of automatically qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time since Korea/Japan 2002. That year, Appollis was only a one-year-old and had no clue about the world – let alone Bafana.

He was nine years old in 2010 when he got to see his nation on the global stage, thanks to the buzz that circulated around the country as South Africa hosted the tournament.

While Bafana were merely part of the event due to their hosting rights, their participation left an enduring mark on Appollis and his peers as they dreamt of representing their country on football’s biggest stage.

He might not have to wait long to realise that childhood dream, as he has been a cornerstone of Bafana’s impressive qualification campaign, which has seen them move to within just three wins of booking their ticket to the global showpiece in North America next year.

Appollis hasn’t had it all figured out, though. There was a time he was in the wilderness after temporarily quitting football – following spells at Cape Town Spurs’ youth structures, SuperSport United, and the University of Pretoria (UP) – to return home to Cape Town.

But thanks to motivation from his immediate family – the Appollis and Davids' (the latter being the side of his girlfriend's of five years) – he made the hard decision to return to the game.

“It’s amazing, seeing where I come from,” reflected Appollis, speaking about the support he got when he was at his lowest, in the lobby of the Southern Sun International Hotel in Bloemfontein, where Bafana are based for the current FIFA window.

“It was very difficult. But through the support I had from them, I stayed motivated to continue doing something I love – playing football.

“So, I really want to thank them for giving me the motivation and hunger to play football. The most important thing for me was the hunger to get back on the field and play. When I was at home, it wasn’t always easy, as people kept asking questions.

“It was at that moment that I told myself, ‘No man, go back and play football.’ I had people – my friends and others – saying, ‘Why don’t you go back? It’s not easy.’ Even today, it’s not easy. There are still things I want to achieve. It wasn’t easy to get here, so I feel like this is only the beginning.”

While those closest to him rekindled his desire to return to the game, it took a phone call with a certain former coach, Kwanele Kopo, to fully convince Appollis to put his soccer boots back on.

“To be honest, he was the only one who called me at that time,” Appollis revealed. “He coached me at the MDC (now the DStv Diski Challenge) at SuperSport. When he found out I was home, he called and asked what was happening.

“I told him, and we spoke. He said, ‘This is what I want you to do: you must come back and play for me. One day, you’ll be at the U23 and hopefully with Bafana.’ So, a big shout-out to him. I am grateful for what he has done for me.

“I think that’s one person I will never forget, because if it wasn’t for him, I don’t think I’d be here with Bafana and Orlando Pirates.”

Back in professional football, playing for Kopo’s Pretoria Callies in the second division required Appollis to fight to get back into shape and fully rediscover his passion for the game.

He did just that. As a result, it wasn’t long before he joined Polokwane City in the top flight, where he impressed and earned a Bafana call-up for the 2023 AFCON finals in Ivory Coast – en route to South Africa’s third-place finish.

Now with Orlando Pirates, Appollis admitted that he was warmly welcomed into the Bafana setup from the beginning – which is why he believes the camaraderie among the players makes it easier for anyone to adapt quickly and gel with the squad.

“No matter who comes in, the team always welcomes everyone the same way as the guys who’ve always been here,” Appollis said. “We help each other – on and off the field. It’s amazing how the squad has turned out.”

Bafana will return to the continental finals in Morocco as one of the favourites following an unbeaten run in the qualifiers.

But first, they need to ensure they seal their World Cup qualification. That feat requires them to boost their chances by beating their arch-rivals in their eighth qualifier at Toyota Stadium on Tuesday night.

Bafana head into the clash on a high after beating Lesotho 3-0 - thanks to goals from Mohau Nkota, Lyle Foster, and Appolis - at the same venue on Friday, almost putting to bed any concerns surrounding Teboho Mokoena’s eligibility in their 2-0 win over the same opponents five months ago.

While Appollis admits that the Super Eagles have long been one of their toughest rivals, he believes that if they work together as a team, they can secure victory.

“It’s going to be an exciting game, and a very difficult game against Nigeria,” Appollis admitted. “We know the quality they have, and we are ready for the fight. We are a talented team, and we’ll be ready for Thursday.

“It all comes down to the team. We’ll all put in the work – it’s not about individuals. If we work together as a group, like we do, then we can succeed.”