Bafana Bafana have to pull out all the stops in Ivory Coast if they are to emulate the Class of 1996 and win the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
For decades, South Africans have mostly considered themselves a footballing nation. However, such is their minimal success that the last time the country came together to celebrate a footballing achievement was at the 1996 Afcon.
A lot has happened since then – now 27 years ago – with coaches and players trying their shot at redemption with no return on investments. But the current crop have ample reason to believe that they can rewrite the record books, given the fortunes and structure.
Bafana are coached by Hugo Broos, who won Afcon with Cameroon in 2017, the Belgian having shed criticism to reach the continental showpiece event. The 71-year-old’s stint has been controversial at times, dividing the nation by selecting players young and based on form.
‘Totally different breed’
Former Bafana squad member Roger De Sa said he doesn’t see much resemblance to the champions of ’96 and the current team, even though he’s a fan of Broos.
“I doubt it very much. I think we were a totally different generation and breed,” De Sa told Independent Media on Monday.
“All I can say about Broos’s selection is that he’s his own man, and I like that. I like that he picks players he thinks can do the job,” he added.
But De Sa doesn’t tip Bafana to win Afcon even though he’s not ruling out a future triumph.
“I certainly believe we could win it again. If we can do it this year, it would be great but I have my doubts,” he said.
With De Sa not tipping Bafana to win, South Africa will want to start their campaign with a good foundation. The team will open their Group E campaign against Mali at Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium on Tuesday evening. And De Sa doesn’t think they’ll be underdogs.
“There are no underdogs in Africa. You can see from the current Afcon. Mozambique drew with Egypt, and Cape Verde beat Ghana,” he opined. “With the experience we’ve got from Mamelodi Sundowns and other players who are playing continental [football], they already know what’s coming.”