Bafana’s midweek win was cause for optimism for the Nations Cup
Ntuthuko Maphumulo
The African Cup of Nations should give the people of Mali a chance to see some of the continent’s icons in their stadiums, although the hosts are not expected to get to the final.
But the expectations are much higher for Bafana Bafana, who won the tournament at their first attempt when they hosted it in 1996.
For the first time South Africa will enter the continental cup with a foreign coach, in Carlos Queiroz, who has had an appropriate time to gel with the players. Queiroz’s technical know-how was displayed on Tuesday in Bafana’s confidence-boosting 1-0 win over Angola.
Bafana came out of their shell for the first time in a long time as they combined explosive spells of attacking football with composure when their backs were to the wall.
The left side of the midfield showed how the quality of German Bundesliga has helped Delron Buckley and Bradley Carnell stand their ground, with Buckley offering impressive width and penetration. Siyabonga Nomvete’s outstanding improvisation on the right side of midfield in the absence of star Sibusiso Zuma was a cause for optimism.
Mbulelo “Old John” Mabizela continued to lay the foundations for a sterling career with another solid display. But Shaun Bartlett’s unimpressive showing had everyone believing he would rather be with Charlton, his club in England.
The squad showed moments of brilliance in the second half with Nomvete pulling off one of his greatest performances in the national squad, but luck was not on his side as he hit the post several times.
Supporters who were writing the team off just a few weeks ago now expect them to win the trophy.
The loss of key behind-the-scenes personnel Jomo Sono, Roger de Sa and Clive Barker who will arrive late after concentrating on league games is a blow for the Bafana camp. Barker led the team to victory in 1996, while Sono who took charge at short notice for the 1998 event when South Africa were beaten in the final is a tactical and motivational expert.
Their experience will be missed but the groundwork should have been done long before Sunday, when Bafana take on their first opponents in Group B, Burkina Faso.
The Burkinabe were an unknown quantity until they hosted the African Nations Cup in 1998 and reached the semifinals, but they are unlikely to repeat that feat this year.
Their national coach was fired a week before the start of the tournament and South Africa will have a great opportunity to get off to a comfortable winning start.
Bafana would be advised not to go into the first match of the tournament as though it were the final of the World Cup.
It was the mistake they made in the 1998 Nations Cup when they came out firing on all cylinders and were beaten by the half-time whistle in the final against Egypt. They had exhausted all their energies in the group stages and quarterfinals, just scraping through in the semifinals.
After Burkino Faso they face the fading stars of Africa, Ghana, who once were thought to be the best Africa could offer the world. In recent times they have become a sleeping giant and Bafana will hope they don’t choose this match as the time to awake.
The final group match is potentially the most difficult against Morocco. The north Africans are not going to the World Cup finals in Korea/Japan this year and will be out to atone.
The African Cup will also show the world how much African soccer has developed with many nations opting to combine experience with youth.
The likes of Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Egypt and Senegal will be looking to the youngsters, who have been playing in continental and international youth tournaments, for inspiration.
The preparations of some of the countries have not gone smoothly with players arriving late for their camps and coaches being fired.
Former world player of the year George Weah, now Liberia’s technical director, said,”I am sitting here with the cones and the balls but there are no players,” after the team refused to train in a protest aimed at obtaining more than the $6 500 a man that the country’s government had offered them.
But the squad have relented and will open the tournament against Mali in Bamako on Saturday.