Selfs al is sypasse moeilik, bly voorwaartse passe maklik.

Selfs al introduces a contrast and usually means even if or even though.

In this sentence, it tells you that the second part stays true despite the first part:

• Selfs al is sypasse moeilik = Even if / Even though side passes are difficult
• bly voorwaartse passe maklik = forward passes remain easy

A good learner shortcut is to treat selfs al as a set phrase meaning even if/even though.

Because selfs al is ... is a very common Afrikaans pattern.

So instead of expecting a direct English-like order, it is better to learn this as a natural concessive structure:

• Selfs al is dit duur ... = Even if it is expensive ...
• Selfs al is sypasse moeilik ... = Even if side passes are difficult ...

So is appears early in the clause as part of this familiar pattern.

This is because Afrikaans main clauses normally follow the verb-second rule.

The first position in the sentence is already taken by the whole opening clause:

• Selfs al is sypasse moeilik

After that, the finite verb of the main clause must come next:

• bly

Only then do you get the subject:

• voorwaartse passe

So the structure is:

• opening clause
• finite verb
• subject
• rest of clause

That is why you get bly voorwaartse passe maklik, not voorwaartse passe bly maklik in this sentence order.

Here bly means remain or stay.

It is not about physically staying somewhere. It is a linking verb, like in:

• Dit bly belangrik = It remains important
• Die taak bly moeilik = The task stays difficult

So bly voorwaartse passe maklik means forward passes remain easy.

Because the sentence is making a general statement, not talking about a specific set of passes.

Compare:

• Sypasse is moeilik = Side passes are difficult in general
• Die sypasse is moeilik = The side passes are difficult referring to specific ones

So the lack of die is perfectly normal here.

Because sypas is a compound noun, while voorwaartse is an adjective modifying the noun passe.

• sypas = side pass
• plural: sypasse

But:

• voorwaartse passe = literally forward passes
• voorwaartse describes passe

Afrikaans often writes compound nouns as one word, just like it often does in English with words such as football or sunlight.

Because it is an attributive adjective: it comes before the noun it describes.

In Afrikaans, adjectives often take -e when placed before a noun:

• maklike werk
• moeilike taak
• voorwaartse passe

So voorwaartse is the form used before passe.

Because here they are predicate adjectives, not adjectives placed directly before nouns.

They come after linking verbs:

• is sypasse moeilik
• bly voorwaartse passe maklik

In that position, Afrikaans normally uses the basic form:

• Die werk is moeilik
• Die taak bly maklik

But before a noun, you usually get the -e form:

• moeilike werk
• maklike taak

The singular is pas and the plural is passe.

This is a normal Afrikaans plural pattern for many nouns:

• pas → passe
• glas → glase
• tas → tasse

With pas, the plural uses -e, and the spelling shows the short vowel by doubling the consonant:

• pas → passe

So:

• sypas → sypasse
• voorwaartse pas → voorwaartse passe

Yes, the comma is standard here because the sentence begins with a dependent or introductory clause:

• Selfs al is sypasse moeilik, ...

The comma separates that opening clause from the main clause:

• ... bly voorwaartse passe maklik

This makes the sentence easier to read and is the normal written form.

Yes. You could also say:

Voorwaartse passe bly maklik, selfs al is sypasse moeilik.

That means the same thing. The main difference is emphasis:

• Starting with Selfs al ... highlights the contrast first.
• Starting with Voorwaartse passe ... puts the main point first.

Both are natural, but the word order inside the main clause will change depending on which part comes first.