Proteas Homecoming: Airport filled to 3 tiers, old school teammates in crested jumpers, ‘crying or flu' quip by Ngidi and a call to name 9th month SepTemba

Indian Express

18-06-2025

The Cape Town international airport was packed to the rafters for three tiers as Temba Bavuma's Proteas landed home after winning the World Test Championship.
In a chaotic reception, the ICC trophy winning South Africans were stopped every few metres as Marco Jansen signed every single autograph request and 'OH Temba Bavuma' choruses rung with the whole airport joining in after the cricket team broke the dark spell of 27 years.
It's not quite the World Cup of 50 overs, but TV channels emphasised on the word ICC, a trophy that has been storiedly elusive. United in grief of several defeats, the multi racial nation citizens trooped in from faroff places to greet the Proteas.
#ProteasWTCFinal #HomeComing #ProteaFire pic.twitter.com/biWvjDpMuA
— A Runner With A Struggling Cheque Account (@OfficialVeli) June 18, 2025
Notably, former school teammates of the Champion Proteas showed up in old crested jumpers, and fancy jackets inscribed with new face prints from Lord's, with Paarl school former openers in attendance. Assorted school teams of Bavuma and Markram also came to cheer as the Proteas wearing classy Champion tees lined up and Bavuma lifted the mace again.
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie had rolled out the red carpet, and joined a bunch of fans in singing the Temba-song.
A young white fan, Daniel, a diehard Bavuma fan, told Newz Sport, 'Temba, even under pressure – he taught us that he can win it for us. He showed us that we Proteas can win. So now even we think we can win.' Daniel, who has met Wiaan Mulder 4 times, had skipped school though his school teacher quipped on Twitter saying he might need to serve detention. But he was one of many signifying how this triumph could unite a bitterly divided nation of racial tensions. For Daniel had simply won SA the trophy that had eluded generations.
We Here 🙌🙌🙌🙌 pic.twitter.com/sjy1IkGrWR
— A Runner With A Struggling Cheque Account (@OfficialVeli) June 18, 2025
Lungi Ngidi told journalist Likho Mpama he had brieflyspoken to his mother who said she was proud of him and joked that, 'My mum is proud, that's all I needed to hear. I dunno if she was crying or maybe she's got the flu. But it sounded something in between the two.'
On the years it had taken to win and the despondency after first innings he said, 'There was no choice but I pretty much had to do it, win. It's sport there's ups and downs. Its just unfortunate that sometimes the downs have been on the biggest stage. But the ups too have been on just as big a stage and look today we have a medal. It was very stressful but I knew that if I got one wicket then I would get another one. Just tried to break that momentum to break the game open.
Welcome home you championspic.twitter.com/ZWCfpJTYCq
— Werner (@Werries_) June 18, 2025
At the CSA reception, he said, 'We can't fill those shoes of legends. But we are building a legacy of our own. No one can replace Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis. But we've got our own guys,' he said.
South Africa play Zimbabwe in two Tests at end of June, and fans were busy considering logistics of travelling and supporting the team. With stadia being refurbished for the 2027 World Cup, South Africa play no Tests in their December summer this year or until later in 2026 at home.
Twitter super fans Sabeeha Majid, Werner and Naeema Benjamin kept the fans updated, and there was a lot of bantering demands of those who wrote off South Africa to apologise.
An apology form with multiple choice was doing the rounds.
[WATCH] A young Temba Bavuma fan, who can name the whole #Proteas squad, has brought a picture of the champions for the captain to sign at OR Tambo International Airport. @vuyo_macoba reports. pic.twitter.com/kOZV6hG6Ut
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) June 18, 2025
While Keshav Maharaj who wears a tiny gold mace pendant as he is a Hanuman devotee posed formally, and Bavuma kept his now-famous shades on, Markram and Ryan Rickelton got frenzied cheers.
Ring dances with all the iconic songs had been performing since early morning as the flight landed at 9 am, 25 minutes ahead of schedule.
Shakira's catchy ditty in Waka, Waka readily gets plastered on South Africa's cricket triumphs by the rest of the world. It's worth many loops and had its WTC-sized resurrection, since being composed around when Australia last lost an ICC final. But the iconic 'Shosholoza' reached a crescendo when performed and broughtbthe airport to a standstill before the team arrived.
Shosholoza which literally means 'keep going forward', has origins in the Ndebele language, and talks of resilience and relentlessness of hard-working miners, urged to keep chugging ahead. It's an earworm to persevere through tough times and even mundane struggles. While it stood for solidarity during the fight against Apartheid, the haunting melody has rung in unity, and Shosholoza gets sung at rugby internationals by whites, Blacks and anyone South African, forming quite an aural dome as the Springbok forward pack moves the scrum menacingly forward.
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie singing #Proteas Captain's name Temba Bavuma!#WozaNawe #ICCWTC2025Final #Gayton #McKenzie pic.twitter.com/CrpeFHZM2U
— Likho Mpama (@JLikho11) June 18, 2025
South African Comedian Rory Petrez, had spent four days relaying his nail biting anxiety in his car, airing it on youtube. He found a banger on the final day, in his tweet that read: 'I'd like to also add that this is not some limited overs, skop, skiet, donner & hope for the best trophy. It's TEST MATCH CRICKET. The purist & most technical form of the game. Holy s'%#t, I'm so happy. Congratulations Proteas. I love you.'
He recalled bunking school to witness the first heartbreak, now famous as '22 off 1 ball.' 'We are champions of the full whole world. We've been waiting fir this since 1992. We bunked primary school in 1992, to watch THAT match. You know THAT 22 off 1 ball match. We are waiting since that day,' he said once it was done.
Rugby, cricket, music aren't the only South African passions. Their braai (barbecue) are legendary. And Petrez would chomp into a boerewors (boer = farmer, wors = sausage) roll on camera to celebrate. 'This morning I went and bought championship boerwors. It has champion written on it. And as we were winning I lit the fire and I'm eating the championship boerwors roll.'
To ensure the triumph was never forgotten, the comic suggestedcnaming the 9th month 'SepTemba.' 'We need a few rules now to remember this victory to weave into our language. Firstly all rugby players from Springboks down to U7s whenever they catch the ball in the 22 you shout 'Markram'. That game in the swimming pool (water polo) you shout Marco Jansen. That ninth month of the year in every single diary and calendar. It is spellt SepTemba. And everything you buy Boerwors, or mince or chops or potatoes at the shop, you buying it 'by the KG' Rabada.'
Celebrations will continue for a few more days.