Bafana Bafana must 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 primarily considered themselves a football nation. However, their limited success means that the last time the country came together to celebrate a football achievement was at the 1996 Afcon.
A lot has happened since then, now 27 years ago, with coaches and players attempting to redeem themselves while receiving no return on investment. However, given their fortunes and structure, the current crop has every reason to believe they can rewrite the record books.
Hugo Broos, who won the Afcon with Cameroon in 2017, coaches Bafana. The Belgian has overcome criticism to reach the continental showpiece event. The 71-year-old’s tenure has been contentious at times, dividing the country by selecting young players based on form.
Roger De Sa, a former Bafana squad member, said there is little resemblance between the 1996 champions and the current team, despite being a fan of Broos.
“I seriously doubt it. “I believe we were a completely different generation and breed,” De Sa told Independent Media on Monday.
“All I can say about Broos’ selection is that he’s his own person, which I like. “I like how he chooses players who he believes can do the job,” he added.
However, De Sa does not expect Bafana to win Afcon, though he does not rule out a future victory.
“I firmly believe we can win it again. If we can do it this year, that would be fantastic, but I have my doubts,” he stated.
De Sa does not believe Bafana will win, so South Africa will want to get off to a good start. On Tuesday evening, the team will face Mali at Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Group E action. And De Sa doesn’t believe they will be underdogs.
“There are no underdogs in Africa.” You can see from the current Afcon. Mozambique drew with Egypt, and Cape Verde defeated Ghana, he said. “With the experience we’ve got from Mamelodi Sundowns and other players who are playing continental [football], they already know what’s coming.”