It was a balmy 7°C in Joburg at 3am on Thursday, almost warm enough for Fifa to insist on a hydration break for South African fans watching Bafana Bafana beat South Korea. Coffee as a celebratory drink doesn’t quite cut it, though, and, well, it was a school night/morning. Three o’clock in the morning is an ungodly time for a World Cup match to kick off. Next door’s cat had stopped its two-hour mewling session, the boy racers had taken their souped-up cars home to Mummy and Daddy, and even the early birds had hit snooze on their alarms. All was still, all was quiet. Over to you, Bafana. Bring the noise, and after the awfulness of Azteca and the fuzzy hope of Atlanta, they found a way. It was a match of twists and turns, of defending up against the ropes and counterattacks, and of hope, and let’s just give it a f**king go. One-nil against a South Korean team that had posted videos of a gym routine that showed the aggression, drive and synchronisation they lacked on the field of Monterrey. On social media, where no one can hear you scream, the “told-you-so” brigade was in full voice, questioning all who had doubted Bafana after the abject performance in Mexico City. If you didn’t doubt Bafana after that, I have a Trump phone and Bible I’d like to sell you.Bafana Bafana have always been a hard team to define. There has been no clear sense of a playing style, a development of tactical nous, little direction and a mish-mash of influences. What is Bafana? What do they want to be? Do we really care if they are winning?I watched South Africa play a warm-up game in Durban before the 2002 World Cup. Jomo Sono had been installed as the coach after Carlos Queiroz had tired of Sono, then the Safa technical director, interfering in selections and even substitutions. I think the opposition was Mauritius, but it was a match of little quality and worth.The exciting Relebohile Mofokeng was in for Jayden Adams, and he brought the spark, setting up chances for Thapelo Maseko. When Maseko finally scored with that laser left foot, it was based on the match-long graft of Sithole and the wizardry of Mofokeng. A Bafana player pulled a show-off move and gave the bored crowd a reason to stir, a little Kazi Flava. I sighed and shook my head. A colleague told me I “did not understand our football”. Your football? I asked him to define what that football was. It was a vague answer based on nostalgia for cameos, nicknames and legends. It didn’t answer the question.Perhaps Thursday morning gave us a sign of what Bafana should and could be. Hark back to the Bafana that played at the 2023 Afcon, when they were a team of brave adventurers with a core of steel. Contrast that to the timid, confused team that lined up against Mexico at the Azteca. A flat five at the back, a missing midfield three and a starved two up front. This was a team with its soul replaced by pragmatism and fear.Against Mexico, Bafana had 39% possession, three shots at goal (two of those on target), were offside just once and had a solitary corner. In the 1-1 draw with Czechia they had 61% possession and a whopping 17 shots, five on target. Still, in that match in Atlanta Bafana celebrated getting into the final third of the pitch the way they celebrated getting into the World Cup. They were so happy they were there, but once they had got there, they didn’t really seem like they knew what to do.Hugo Broos made the changes he needed to make for South Korea. Evidence Makgopa replaced Iqraam Rayners; Sphephelo Sithole, his nightmare against Mexico still fresh, bossed the midfield for Teboho Mokoena. The exciting Relebohile Mofokeng was in for Jayden Adams, and he brought the spark, setting up chances for Thapelo Maseko. When Maseko finally scored with that laser left foot, it was based on the match-long graft of Sithole and the wizardry of Mofokeng. South Africa had just 31% of the possession but crafted four shots on target from the 14 they had in total. South Korea could only manage seven shots in total. Even Kasi Flava needs a spine of steel. And so to the final 32 and Canada in Los Angeles on Sunday at 9pm Joburg time. South Africa have been given a 19% chance of winning and Betway are offering odds on a Bafana victory at 4.80. It’s an outside shot, but we always knew that. All we can ask is that they just give it a f**king go.