Cape Town - "Run like hell ... defend like your lives depend on it," said one enthusiastic Bafana Bafana fan as messages of support flood social media.

The South African public has been in a constant state of euphoria since the Springboks bagged a 32-12 Rugby World Cup final win over England at the start of the month.

Captain Siya Kolisi and the rest of the winning squad on Monday ended a five-day trophy tour that went to seven cities around South Africa - Johannesburg, Soweto, Pretoria, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town - to celebrate the Springboks' third Rugby World Cup triumph.

Thousands of roaring fans gathered in the streets to catch a glimpse of "Bill" - the gold coveted Webb Ellis Cup from the open tour bus.

The energy was exhilarating and powerful.

Now, fans are shifting their focus to Bafana Bafana as a 25-man squad travelled to Ghana for the start of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign.

The Black Stars will host South Africa at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium on Thursday.

Since readmission, Bafana have played Ghana on 12 occasions - 4 wins, 5 draws and 3 defeats - with the first clash dating back to November 1994.

Sport24 reader Nkagiseng Thipe sent in a message of support hoping that what the Springboks achieved in Japan during the Rugby World Cup could rub off on Bafana Bafana.

Along with Bafana Bafana and Ghana in Group C are Sudan and the lowly ranked Sao Tome and Principe.

Two teams from the group will qualify for the tournament in Cameroon.

Thursday's Bafana Bafana and Ghana fixture starts at 21:00 (SA time).

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