The South African Football Association (Safa) President Danny Jordaan believes that Bafana Bafana will represent the country well at next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
He said this after Bafana Bafana arrived back home last night, following their 2-1 win over Liberia on Tuesday which ensured that the team qualified for the Afcon.
It was perhaps not the full crowd expected to welcome the team that just qualified for the biggest football tournament on the continent, the Africa Cup of Nations.
But the few loyal fans that turned up were vocal and vociferous.
Safa President Danny Jordaan says, “We are very happy that Zambia from southern Africa has also qualified … Show character there as well.”
Meanwhile, former Bafana Bafana players Mark Williams and Katlego Mashego have shared mixed feelings about Bafana Bafana’s chances at next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
Mark Williams, who was an instrumental figure in the Bafana team that won the 1996 Afcon, is not convinced about their chances.
“There are lots of countries that just want to beat us. For them, they had a draw against us and they looked like they won the Afcon Cup, the first result. The second result, yes we won but by just scraping through, so all I am saying is that we are celebrating because when last did we qualify. We have to be honest with ourselves and ask ourselves, where are we competing with Senegal, Cameroon, Nigeria because that’s where I want to see us, don’t talk about Libya and Kenya I mean come on this for me was a daily bread.”
Katlego Mashego, who represented South Africa on 22 occasions, scoring twice in the process, has expressed different views to those of Williams. He believes there is hope for the team at the tournament.
“Once you go into a tournament you are just one of the teams so no one knows who is going to win the tournament, there are obviously some big teams and European stars, you never know in the tournament but it gives you a chance as long as you are there you are guaranteed to have a chance, you play three games in the group stages and if you do well you might go all the way.”
-Article by Vincent Sitsula
Mixed feelings about Bafana being through to AFCON
