Nation rallies behind Bafana’s AFCON dream

South Africans are hopeful that Bafana Bafana will conquer the continent three decades after Neil Tovey and Co were crowned Africa Cup of Nations champions on home soil.

The wait for a second African title has been too long, punctuated as it was by some disappointing performances which saw Bafana becoming the laughing stock of the continent. Who can forget the embarrassment of 2006 in Egypt when the squad led by the late Ted Dumitru lost all their three group matches without scoring a goal?

Bafana had plunged into such low depths that it could only get better thereafter, right? Only it didn’t. South Africa missed out on the next two tournaments, failing to qualify. The return to the biennial, continental showpiece came courtesy of us hosting in 2013, but Gordon Igesund and his men failed to take advantage of home ground like Clive Barker’s Class of 1996.

Why then is it that South Africa is excited for this 35th edition of the tournament being hosted by Morocco, who lifted the curtain on their ‘football party’ with a clash against lowly Comoros?

Hugo Broos, that’s why.

Since he took over a little over four years ago, the Belgian septuagenarian has turned Bafana’s fortunes so much for the better that they finished third at the previous tournament.

And as they kick-start their campaign with a clash against Angola in Marrakech Monday evening (7pm South African time), Bafana will do so as one of the favourites to lift the crown. Well, make them dark horses really, because the hosts and Senegal have to be the most likely to lift the crown, given their impressive recent run of form. 

The Atlas Lions of Morocco have set a world record winning run of 18 matches, while Senegal’s Lions of Teranga went an incredible 25 matches without a loss until their defeat to Brazil last week.

But Broos’ Bafana have earned the nation’s confidence with some impressive showings that saw them qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since they earned the ticket to the 2022. The current generation is now being compared to the Class of '96, and even those legends are seeing a bit of themselves in this one.

That the stars are aligned for a Bafana victory is seen in the makeup of their group for the round-robin phase, with both Angola and Egypt having also been in the 1996 first-round group that South Africa topped.

Broos has reiterated the importance of starting the tournament on a winning note. Beat Angola and Bafana could well be on their way to a second AFCON glory in three decades. It’s what the nation dreams of. It is what South Africa expects.

Cape Times