Two years ago, South Africa arrived at AFCON 2023 classified as outsiders, having missed the 2021 edition entirely. Fast forward to today: following their run to the bronze medal, Bafana Bafana is now viewed as a genuine title threat. Adding urgency to their campaign, legendary coach Hugo Brooswho has announced his full retirement from coaching next yearis determined to cap his career by delivering the nations second-ever AFCON silverware.
Background
South Africa has participated in three FIFA World Cup and will be making their 12th Africa Cup of Nations appearance in Morocco. The 1996 winners have been on the AFCON podium on four occasions.
Team Bio
Plagued with Apartheid, South Africa was banned from participating in the Africa Cup of Nations from 1959 to 1992. They qualified for the 1957 tournament but were later disqualified.
They made their AFCON debut in 1996 as hosts. South Africa was then drawn in Group A with Cameroon, Egypt and Angola. In their first ever AFCON game, against Cameroon, they won in style with a 3-0 score line. Philemon Raul Masinga, Mark Williams and John Moshoeu were the goal scorers for South Africa and Coach Clive Barkers men had made a huge statement of intent. Mark Williams got his second goal of the tournament in their 1-0 win over Angola in their second game. Their 0-1 loss against Egypt in their third game was inconsequential as they still finished top of the group. In the quarterfinals against Algeria, Mark Fish and John Moshoeu were on target for South Africa, while Tarek Lazizi scored Algerias consolatory goal.
They made Ghana look ordinary in the semifinals with a 3-0 bashing. John Moshoeu bagged a brace and Shaun Bartlett opened his goal scoring account in the tournament in front of 75,000 spectators at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. In the final against Tunisia, Mark Williams scored both goals in a 2-0 win as South Africa lifted their first AFCON trophy at the first time of asking.
Burkina Faso hosted the 21st edition of the tournament in 1998. Bafana Bafana were determined to hold on to their prized jewel. They were drawn in Group C with Cte dIvoire, Angola and Namibia. Draws with Angola0-0 and Cte dIvoire 11 were followed by a 4-1 mauling of neighbors Namibia.
Benni McCarthy stole the show with all four goals for South Africa. With five points they booked their place in the knockout stage behind Cte dIvoire with seven points. Against Morocco in the quarterfinals, Benni McCarthy continued to shine, he opened the scoring at the 22nd minute for South Africa. Sad Chiba equalized for Morocco but South Africa got their winner through David Nyathi. Two time winners DR Congo were their opponents at the semifinals. Benni McCarthy was literally walking on water, as he bagged a brace in their 1-2 win and secured them a second consecutive final after extra time. South Africa fell short against Egypt in the final as Ahmed Hassan and Tarek Mostafas goals handed Egypt the trophy in Ouagadougou.
In the first ever AFCON cohosted by two countriesGhana and Nigeria, South Africa were drawn in Group B with Algeria, DR Congo and Gabon. Vincent Dumisa Ngobe and a brace from Shaun Bartlett gave them a 3-1 win over Gabon in their opening game. Bartlett was on target again in their 1-0 win over DR Congo in their second game. He scored his fourth goal of the tournament in their 1-1 draw with Algeria in their final group game. As group B winners, they were drawn against Group A runners-up Ghana in the quarterfinals. Siyabonga Eugene Nomvethes 42nd minute goal was all they needed to see off Ghana. In the semifinals against host Nigeria, Tijani Babangida was a handful for them as his brace booked the host a place in the final and Bafana Bafana had to settle for a classification game against Tunisia. Bartlett with his fifth of the tournament and Nomvethe with his second scored for South Africa but Ali Zitouni replied with two goals for Tunisia and the game was decided in a shootout after extra time., South Africa prevailed on a 4-3 score line. For the third consecutive time, they were on the AFCON podium.
The South African decline was steady, in 2002 in Mali, they battled their way out of Group as group winners ahead of Ghana, Morocco and Burkina Faso. Two goalless draws in their first two games against Burkina Faso and Ghana respectively and 3-1 win over Morocco, with goals from Sibusiso Wiseman Zuma, Thabo Mngomeni and Siyabonga Nomvethe saw them finish as Group B table toppers. They did not come to live against hosts Mali in the quarterfinals. Bassala Tour and Dramane Coulibaly scored for Mali in a comfortable 2-0 win. They were eliminated at the Group stage in the next three tournaments and failed to qualify for the next two.
In 2004 in Tunisia, Siyabonga Nomvethes brace against Benin in a 2-0 win was followed by a 4-0 humiliation to against Nigeria and a 1-1 draw with Morocco thanks
