Bafana Bafana's reflection of Mamelodi Sundowns' influence has shot the DStv Premiership champions to global relevance as the most represented club in the quarter-finals of the AFCON finals.
Just to measure Sundowns' weight at the tournament, the Brazilians have 10 players in the Bafana Bafana squad that will play Cape Verde on Saturday.
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What is captivating is that those are not just squad players but starters.
Bafana coach Hugo Broos started with eight Sundowns players in the last three matches while he had seven in the opening day defeat to Mali.
Broos had Ronwen Williams in goals while the back four had Khuliso Mudau, Mothobi Mvala, Grant Kekana, and Aubrey Modiba with Teboho Mokoena, Themba Zwane, and Thapelo Morena all starting further up the pitch in the 2-0 last 16 win over Morocco on Tuesday.
Thapelo Maseko then came on from the bench in the second half.
Terrence Mashego was the only Sundowns player not used.
The same eight players started in the goalless draw against Tunisia in the group stages with Maseko coming from the bench while Mashego was unused.
It was a similar pattern again for the 4-0 win over Namibia – the only opponent ranked lower than Bafana that Broos' men have played – with eight Sundowns players starting and Maseko coming on as a substitute to score.
In the defeat to Mali, there were seven Sundowns players starting with Kekana on the bench along with Morena and Mashego.
Morena came on from the bench in that game.
Williams, Mvala, Modiba, and Mokoena have played every minute of all four games to date at 360 minutes each.
Mudau has piled up 315 minutes, Zwane is at 293, Kekana (270), Morena (240), and Maseko on 150 minutes.
Mashego is the only Sundowns player yet to feature.
This means Sundowns players have totalled 2708 minutes of football at the AFCON, which is by far the most for any club represented at the tournament.
With the AFCON bell now ringing loud in the last eight, Sundowns has the biggest representation of the surviving teams which would make Rulani Mokwena take keen interest on events in Cote d'Ivoire.
There is absolutely no comparison for the Brazilians as no other club is closer, with Angolan heavyweights Petro de Luanda second with five players, while Orlando Pirates has four.
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Further down is English Premier League club Nottingham Forest who have three players in the Cote d'Ivoire squad.