Eight years after winning an emotional African Nations Cup crown on home soil, South Africa open their 2004 finals campaign against little Benin in Tunisia on Tuesday with the team split over financial rewards and with their build-up wrecked by a late change in coach.
Nothing has gone right for the 1996 champions and many South Africans are resigned to an early exit from a competition that also pits them against Morocco and Nigeria in Group D.
Even the most optimistic supporters can’t see the team progressing beyond the quarterfinals, where defending champions and title favourites Cameroon or Egypt are the likeliest opponents.
Not since 1992, when South Africa were readmitted to international football after decades of apartheid-induced isolation, has morale been at such a low ebb.
To make matters worse, South Africa’s players agreed only on Sunday to a R150Â 000 per player appearance fee after months of negotiations.
Originally, the team’s bonus was strictly based on their performance in Tunisia and in the event that they lost all three Group D matches, they would not have received any money for being part of the biennial tournament.
”This incentive has boosted our morale knowing now that we will be compensated for our sacrifice,” said Belgium-based defender Aaron Mokoena.
But performances on the pitch have been poor.
They suffered a humiliating 2-0 away loss to Mauritius in the Castle Cup regional championship, followed by a 2-1 defeat to Senegal to make it four consecutive losses. An injury to key striker Siyabonga Nomvete has only added to the worries swirling around coach Styles Phumo.
Gifted midfielder Steven Pienaar has been ruled out by injury while defender Mark Fish, midfielder Quinton Fortune and striker Benni McCarthy miss Tunisia due to clashes with Shakes Mashaba, who was fired as coach last week.
And leading scorer Shaun Bartlett has retired to concentrate on his club career with English Premiership side Charlton, leaving Bafana Bafana threadbare in attack.
Phumo must be wondering what he has done to deserve all this as he was placed in charge just 48 hours before the team left Johannesburg.
Mashaba was suspended, then fired amid claims that had chosen injured players and alienated foreign-based stars like McCarthy.
Benin, making their debut in the African Nations Cup, admitted they are feeling the strain of their first appearance.
”Yes, there is a little tension,” said Ghanaian-born coach Ceci Jones Attuquayefio.
The coach has good memories of Tunisia as he helped Ghana to the title here in 1965. — Sapa-AFP