Burkina Faso holds out largely pleasant memories for Bafana Bafana‚ who arrived in the West African country on Wednesday for their latest assignment in the ‘land of the upright man’.
It was in the arid country‚ on the fringes of the Sahara Desert‚ that South Africa came close to pulling off an unprecedented defence of their African Nations Cup title – reaching the final in 1998 against all odds.
But Bafana Bafana have also lost there in the past – on their last visit in World Cup qualification just over a decade ago.
In 1998‚ South Africa went to the Nations Cup in Burkina Faso as defending champions‚ but without much hope after a coaching change.
Jomo Sono had just take over from Clive Barker as coach and dropped many of the key players who had proven such a big part of the 1996 Afcon-winning side.
Long-serving players like Sizwe Motaung‚ Neil Tovey and Mark Williams were dumped and untested youngsters like Quinton Fortune and Benni McCarthy brought in.
Bafana had warmed up for the trip to Burkina with an embarrassing defeat away in Namibia but once in west Africa seemed to get their act together.
They made a slow start against Angola and the Ivory Coast but McCarthy’s hattrick (he scored all four goals in the match‚ in the space of 13 minutes) against Namibia ensured progress to the next round.
That was followed by a brilliant win over Morocco and then the Democratic Republic of Congo before defeat in Ouagadougou in the final by Egypt.
South Africa went back in July 2001 for a 1-1 draw at the 4th August Stadium‚ which ensured their qualification to the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
Although Bafana had spent almost one month in Burkina Faso in 1998‚ it was only three years later they actually played against their national team‚ ‘Les Etalons’.
The two countries met again in the 2002 Nations Cup finals in Mali‚ where South Africa were eliminated in the quarterfinals. It was a goalless draw with Burkina in Segou that characterised another slow start to a tournament where South Africa got decided better.
South Africa and Burkina Faso were paired together again in the 2006 World Cup qualifier and Stuart Baxter’s team won comfortably at home. But by the time they got to Ouagadougou for the return match Bafana had already been eliminated from the running for Germany‚ and lost 3-1.
This weekend the two countries meet again at the 4th August Stadium as they begin the group phase of the African qualifiers for the 2018 finals in Russia.
TMG Digital/TMG Sport
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