POLL | Has your love for Bafana been reignited by their Afcon display?

The Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) has been a game-changer in redefining the status quo of long-underachieving Bafana Bafana as the team has bravely beat the odds, qualifying for the semifinals for the first time in 24 years. 

Bafana, missing European-based stars Lyle Foster (mental health issues) and Lebo Mothiba (injury), arrived for the tournament as many pundits’ choice to exit in the group stage.

But coach Hugo Broos’s team had shown signs in his tenure that things were turning around for the beleaguered national side, who reached the Nations Cup quarterfinals in 2013 and 2019 but in-between those battled to even qualify for the continental showpiece they last won in 1996.

The South Africans shocked 2022 World Cup semifinalist and Africa’s top-ranked side Morocco in the last 16. On Saturday night they won a nail-biting quarterfinal against Cape Verde as goalkeeper Ronwen Williams delivered a spectacular performance, making four saves in the penalty shoot-out at the Stade Charles Konan Banny in Yamoussoukro.

South Africa meet Nigeria in their semifinal at Stade de la Paix in Bouaké on Wednesday (7pm SA time). Ivory Coast meet Democratic Republic of Congo in Abidjan in the later semi (10pm). The final is on Sunday.

Williams applauded Bafana video analyst Sinesipho Mali and goalkeeper-coach Grant Johnson — the keeper who won the league with Manning Rangers in the inaugural Premiership season in 1996-1997 — saying they prepared him for Cape Verde’s spot-kickers.

“I give credit to the analyst and the goalkeeper coach. Big up to the analysts for preparing the clips for me to watch and study. They made my job 50% easier because I had an idea of where the players were going to shoot the ball,” Williams said. 

Broos was proud of William’s excellent performance. 

“We were not lucky because we had a very good keeper tonight. If you can save four penalties, that is not luck any more. One [can be luck], but not four. It is not only that. He saved us two minutes before the end too, with the player who was alone in front of him,” Broos said.

The latest win from Bafana was seen as “exceeding expectations” of soccer supporters after years of trophy drought. 

Bafana last qualified for the World Cup, other than as hosts, in 1998 and 2002, exited the 2010 global showpiece in the opening round as hosts, and their previous Nations Cup quarterfinal to 2013 was in 2002.

Many supporters, after almost two decades of the team failing to earn big results in major tournaments, disappointments and heartbreak, were on the verge of not being able to raise their hope for Bafana again.

But their hugely promising Nations Cup campaign is sure to have reignited much love and faith in Bafana.

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