SportsLIVE PODCAST | From Bafana Bafana's glory day to the future of SA rugby

10 July 2019 - 11:50
By sbu mjikeliso
 Bafana Bafana fans.
Image: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters via The Conversation Bafana Bafana fans.

Bafana Bafana crashed the party in Egypt. Not only did they cause mass depression for the Africa Cup of Nations hosts, but they created a storm in the Egyptian FA, which led to the resignation of its president, Hany Abo Rida. 

Rida didn't go down alone. He fired the team's Mexican head coach, Javier Aguirre, and the rest of the Egypt technical staff in an unprecedented mass sweep. In the aftermath, there was also heavy criticism of reigning African Player of the Year Mo Salah.

Some say it's all a PR and publicity stunt, and that Rida will slot straight back into his position when the heat on him and the team has cooled. We don't know for sure. 

South Africa's 1-0 defeat of Egypt in the last 16 of Afcon was one of the shocks of this tournament, which has already seen an audacious Madagascar beat Nigeria in the pool stages and knock out the DRC. But can it be billed as Bafana Bafana's greatest performance under coach Stuart Baxter's?

There was so much to unpack from one of the most glorious days in South African football history: from Baxter's tactics to Bongani Zungu's role and "Mr Tucked In", Lebo Mothiba, playing the most underrated role in the success of the team.

And what's Baxter to do now that Themba Zwane is back to reclaim his place from the Bafana saviour, Thembinkosi Lorch? There's so much to go through.

And we have the best football mind in the country to unpack it all for us: Tiso Blackstar digital sports editor Mninawa Ntloko, who sat down with Sbu Mjikeliso to make sense of the wild ride Bafana has taken the country on. 

Sbu also caught up with SA Rugby president Mark Alexander for an exclusive chat about the future of the game, including the talent that is leaking overseas at a very young age. 

Tune in: 

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