By Batsirai Sango.
With South Africa being shunned from the global football community let alone the continent’s, because of the apartheid system Jomo Sono had been the only fairytale football story to emanate from the nation in southern hemisphere.
With the nation’s readmission back into the world’s football community most importantly the greater continent, the climax to it all had been the battle of the Limpopo with northern neighbors Zimbabwe in an Africa Cup Nations qualifier with Bafana Bafana being humbled in what turned out to be a Peter Ndlovu show at the giant national sports stadium in a 4-1 demolition in July of 1992.
Fast forward 4 years later and South Africa played host to the biggest football fiesta on the continent the 1996 Africa Cup of nations and what a tournament it was and turned out to be for a young nation that was trying to put together the pieces of nationhood together after the dark years of apartheid.
Initially the tournament was scheduled to take place in Kenya having been awarded the rights to host, in 1993, but was later stripped off after concerns on preparations and critical infrastructure were raised which was a disappointment for the nation and its football fans, a reminder again today of the importance of proper planning and infrastructure when bidding to host major sporting events.
With the 20th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations roaring into life Bafana Bafana could not have had it any easier being put in a group with two former African champions in the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon and the Pharaohs of Egypt alongside regional counterparts Angola in what I’m sure pundits then called the group of death. And what a headline start to the showcase South Africa had, a David and Goliath affair taking on Cameroon in the opening encounter that had legendary captain Rigobert Song and the late Marc Vivien Foe in their ranks.
And boy oh boy, a sensation Bafana Bafana put up beating Cameroon 3nil in front of rapturous crowd, with goals from Philemon Masinga, Mark Williams and John Moshoeu. Such a motivating win was enough inspiration in the next encounter with a win over Angola courtesy of a goal from Mark Williams that took them to the quarterfinals as group winners losing the 3rd group game against Egypt 1nil.
The Desert Foxes Algeria lay in wait in the quarterfinals and with Bafana Bafana oozing with confidence, they put Algeria to the sword with Mark Fish and John Moshoeu getting the goals for the hosts and on to the semifinals they marched on to meet Abedi Pele’s Ghana who were pretournament favorites.
And what a semifinal as South Africa turned on the style beating Abedi Pele and company 3nil with John Shoes Moshoeu getting a brace and Shaun Bartlett getting the 3rd, and giant killers the new boys of African football were proving to be much to the surprise of pundits judging from results South Africa had got earlier since readmission.
The sheer determination, passion, commitment from every player that wore the jersey and took to the field was a marvel not to mention the boisterous crowds, it was simply magical, and one hopes if that can be brought back again, and into the final Bafana Bafana marched on meeting another giant in Tunisia.
And what a tough road South Africa had enroute to the final putting to the sword giants of African football and on the cusp, they were with February 3, 1996, the young nation’s date with fate and destiny in their biggest football match since readmission. And the setting was FNB stadium in Soweto with an expectant crowd and players carrying the hopes of a nation.
Neil Tovey the Bafana Bafana captain and his troops went into a packed FNB stadium knowing the whole nation was expectant and with the president the late Nelson Mandela amongst the expectant crowd there was extra motivation. And extra motivation it was with Mark Williams grabbing a brace and a football mad nation was sent into jubilation and footbal heaven.
South Africa just a few years after readmission had become African champions and let the whole continent know they had arrived, and what a grand entrance being crowned Kings of African football at their first cup of nations competition, and the class of 1996 naturally entrenched their names into the annals of history.
Which soccer mad fanatic in South Africa does not remember the country’s finest football hour and the protagonists that made history almost three decades ago, from Lucas Radebe, Shaun Bartlett amongst many other heroes in that class of luminaries that laid the foundation for the success period that followed with South Africa rooting for their place amongst the continent’s best.
