Bafana hope to emulate the Class of 96 at AFCON

THE Bafana Bafana Class of 1996 dared to dream and achieve the impossible during their Africa Cup of Nations campaign, and it’s now up to the current crop to follow in their footsteps in Morocco.

Those were the sentiments echoed throughout Bafana’s send-off celebration for the upcoming continental showpiece, hosted by sponsors Castle Lager at FNB Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

Bafana will return to Afcon action in the next few weeks after earning a third-place finish in the last edition in Ivory Coast and qualifying for the FIFA World Cup to be held in North America next year.

Given those achievements, there is strong belief that the team can improve on that third-place finish and emulate the class that won the country’s maiden title 30 years ago.

Some members of that historic team are not watching from the sidelines. Assistant coach Helman Mkhalele, who was part of the ’96 squad, and goalkeeper coach Grant Johnson, were presented with a signed shirt bearing messages from several AFCON-winning teammates at FNB.

These included Doctor Khumalo, Andre Arendse, Mark Williams, Edward Motale and Shaun Bartlett.

Arendse, who was the No 1 goalkeeper when Bafana defied the odds and won AFCON on home soil after their readmission to international football in 1996, compared the two generations and highlighted the many similarities.

“They excite me and make me want to support our national team,” Arendse said. 

“Not that I haven’t supported them in the past. But when I look at the brand of football these guys are playing, it’s reminiscent of what we did in 1996.

“The fact that they’ve spent time together across various camps has brought them closer. If you asked me what the dream is, it would be wonderful if early next year, as we celebrate the 30-year anniversary of winning the AFCON, we do so with another Nations Cup winners’ medal. That would be fantastic.”

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has embraced a similar philosophy to that of his 1996 predecessor, the late Clive Barker. In addition to maintaining continuity within the squad, he has fostered camaraderie among the players and taken on a father-figure role.

Cape Times