Affable South African soccer star Bongani Zungu, who’s in one of the top five leagues in Europe, speaks about his next big career goal – and he’s only 25.

Bongani Zungu is in many ways the poster-boy for South African football, a skilled technician whose ability on the pitch is matched by his determination and desire off it.
The Bafana Bafana midfielder has been something of a rarity of late – a player who has made the step up to feature in Europe and not just succeeded, but also taken his own game to a new level in a rapid rise through the ranks.
It did not come easily for the 25-year-old, who at times was riddled with self-doubt, but he had the grit to work through the hard times and now finds himself at Amiens in France’s Ligue 1, considered one of the top five leagues in Europe and therefore the world.
“I have always worked hard and set myself goals to achieve… I have never got to a point where I thought, ok, I have made it,” Zungu tells FORBES AFRICA.
<blockquote>“My first goal was to be a professional footballer and I achieved that. Then I wanted to play for the national team and I achieved that too.</blockquote>
“My next goal was to play in Europe and I have managed that also. But for me now, it is important to take a step up to play in a competition like the [UEFA] Champions League. That is my next goal and something I am working hard towards.”
Zungu missed the start of the new 2018/19 season in France with injury, and was also the subject of a reported €7-million ($8 million) bid from Greek side Olympiakos, which would make him the most expensive South African footballer ever.
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The link to the Greek giants is their Portuguese coach Pedro Martins, who Zungu forged a strong bond with when the pair were together at Vitória de Guimarães in Portugal.
And that part of his European journey tells you everything you need to know about the affable Duduza-born star.
Zungu made his professional bow in the 2011/12 Premier Soccer League season for Dynamos and later University of Pretoria in the National First Division, but his attributes quickly caught the eye of Mamelodi Sundown coach Pitso Mosimane.
He made the move to Chloorkop (the training and administrative offices of Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club) the following campaign, with Sundowns holding off a number of other suitors, and immediately made himself a first team regular with his quality on the ball and eye for goal.
“I felt very comfortable at Sundowns from the start, I had a very good relationship with Coach Pitso and especially [assistant] Coach Rhulani [Mokwena]. I owe them a lot for the opportunity and I kept in touch with them long after I left the club.”
After three seasons, Zungu was snapped up as a free agent by Vitória, but he arrived at the club with a long-term injury that left him unable to train and not looking the part.
“When I arrived at the club, I think they [the other players] looked at me limping around and overweight and wondered what I was doing there. It was a very frustrating time for me because this was my big break to play in Europe and I couldn’t prove to them what I could do.”
But Zungu made his recovery his focus and rather than wallow in his misfortune, ensured that when he was fit again, he would be both physically and mentally ready for the challenge.
His opportunity would come, ironically, when an injury to teammate Rafael Miranda sidelined the experienced Brazilian and Zungu was thrust into the side at the end of 2016.
He would not look back, establishing himself as a regular, and earning almost cult status among the fans, who loved his languid style.
“The supporters were great to me, they gave me a lot of encouragement from the first time they saw me play. Maybe it was because they had to wait so long to see me because of my injury!
“And the coach Pedro Martins, he is a lot like Coach Pitso, he is very demanding of his players, but in a good way. He knows how to get the best out of you as a player and that certainly helped me. He is so disappointed if you do not reach the level he thinks you should be at.”
There was talk of a move to Portuguese giants Benfica after the end of that 2016/17 season after Zungu scored in a Portuguese Cup final loss to the Lisbon side, but in the end he made a late transfer deadline move to Amiens in France, a step up in terms of league.
He had another successful 2017/18 season, making 28 appearances in all competitions, and he appears ever closer to that ultimate club goal of playing in the Champions League, though he will likely have to make another move to achieve it.
“It’s been my dream, it always will be my dream. I hope I can achieve it one day because for me to feel like I truly ‘made it’, I think I need to be playing on the biggest club stage of all and that is the Champions league.”
&#8211; By Nick Said

SL Benfica v Vitoria Guimaraes – Primeira Liga

The Biggest Goal Of All

South African youngster Luther Singh is blazing a trail in Europe with Portuguese side Sporting Braga and has become the latest new hope for Bafana Bafana.
The versatile 20-year-old won Player of the Tournament and the top-goalscorer prize at both the regional 2016 COSAFA Under-20 Championships and continental African Youth Championships, leading to a first cap for the senior national team in March.
He followed that up with some strong showings at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in South Korea in May, and even though he did not get on the scoresheet, there was much to admire in his play, which is all about pace, skill and confidence.
The first thing that catches the eye with Singh though is his name, as Indian players have been rare at the top level in South Africa.
“My grandfather is of Indian descent, but I was born and raised in Noordgesig in Soweto,” Singh tells FORBES AFRICA.
“I come from a football family in that my father, uncles and cousins all played the game, but at a semi-pro or amateur level. I am the first to make it to the professional ranks.”
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Singh was earmarked for a career in the professional game at the age of 11 when he was scouted by Farouk Khan, one of the top development coaches in the country who runs the successful Stars of Africa academy in Brixton, Johannesburg.
He was playing for junior side Nazarene FC and immediately after the game, Khan approached his parents to see if they would allow him to join the academy, where players live and are schooled.
“We don’t usually take players that young in the academy, but in Luther we could see immediately that there was something else – he is the complete package,” says Khan.
<blockquote>“He is a wonderful player. Aside from his technical skills, he can use both feet, and is strong and quick. He is a player that has all the attributes the modern game demands.”</blockquote>
“What he just needs now is patience, because he is very eager to be a first team player and sometimes he can overdo the training and push himself too hard. I always tell him that with his ability, he will have a successful career, good things will come to him if he is patient.”
Singh reveals that Khan is not only his old academy coach, but also a mentor.
“He has played a huge role in my life, he is my mentor,” Singh said. “We have like a father-son relationship. He has instilled great values in me and assured me that if I work hard, good things will come my way.”
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While at the academy, Singh had role models such as current Bafana stars Tokelo Rantie, May Mahlangu and Sibusiso Khumalo, who at the time were also just feeling their way into the professional game.
“They were guys that I looked up to and gave me a belief in myself. If they could do it, I felt I could also. I saw the sacrifices they made and that taught me that I had to do the same.”
Another spin-off of being at the Stars of Africa academy was, through Khan’s connections, the chance to train in Brazil, where football borders on religion, at the age of 16.
“I trained at Vasco da Gama and Fluminense, two massive clubs there. It was a very good experience to see the environment, the skill of the players and how they use it, and how seriously they take being a professional and developing young players.”
Word of Singh’s ability soon got around and he had a number of suitors from South Africa’s Premier Soccer League, but Khan felt a player of his ability was ready for Europe.
It was a surprise then that he ended up in the Swedish second division with GAIS in August 2015, certainly a low-key introduction to life outside of South Africa. But that was always the plan.
“We wanted him to go somewhere where he would play professional football immediately, not for an academy side, on the bench or in the stands,” says Khan. “GAIS provided that opportunity to him and it worked wonders.”
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Singh scored on his league debut and it quickly became clear to the Swedes that the teenager had something special. One Swedish journalist wrote that the South African was “far too good” for the Swedish second tier, and so it proved after a first full season in 2016 when he scored 10 goals in 23 starts, despite being used, at times, as a winger.
“When I arrived I played on the right or left-wings. I am lucky in that I can use either foot,” says Singh of his time at GAIS. “I also played as a number 10, or a forward, and that move has been really good for me. But I also enjoy playing as a winger, taking players on and creating chances for teammates. I like that.”
There was a lot of interest in Singh from all over Europe by the end of 2016, including the B-side of Real Madrid in Spain.
But he chose a club where he would likely see first team football more or less from the start, and in a league where his attacking instincts were unlikely to be stifled.
Braga finished fifth in the Portuguese league at the end of 2016/17 season, and will be involved in the UEFA Europa League in the new campaign.
Singh has settled well so far, and expects to be part of the first team group in the coming season.
It has helped that he has compatriots Bongani Zungu, Thibang Phete (also a former Stars of Africa graduate) and Haashim Domingo just 20 minutes down the road at Vitoria Guimar ães.
“I didn’t know Luther before, but along with Phete, they come to my house all the time,” says Zungu.
“Luther is a nice guy, very talented. I went to watch him play for Sporting Braga B before he went to the national team [in March] and he scored. It was my first time seeing him and I was very impressed.”
<blockquote>“There are players that look quite small off the field, but on it they are a beast. He has that presence.”</blockquote>
This should be the biggest season of Singh’s career to date, and as ever he is ready to learn.
“My current club [Braga] has players from all over the world, so there are a lot of skillful players,” he says.
“My teammates are highly technical, just like myself, so I believe the club’s style of play suits me very much. Working outside your own country is never an easy thing, but one needs to always remember why you have left your country of origin.”
“I have survived because I know what my priorities are – I am playing for my family, my country and to make a name for myself.”
“Football is a job, and I am grateful that I have been able to see the world because of the beautiful game, while I am also able to provide for my family.”
If his rise continues, before long the world will be seeing him. &#8211; Written by Nick Said

Is This Africa’s Next Star?

South African football legend Phil ‘Chippa’ Masinga will always be remembered for his spectacular goal against Congo that took the national team, Bafana Bafana, to their first FIFA World Cup.
Celebrations broke out around the country as fans prepared themselves for the 1998 World Cup in France.
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“That was a great goal. I remember before the Congo game that a lot was expected from us to win so that we can qualify for our first ever World Cup. I was motivated to do well in that particular game, playing in front of our supporters who wanted us to win. I was determined to make use of any scoring opportunity that I got, so when I got that chance I took a long range shot and it went in. I was so happy after scoring, you could see in my celebrations that the goal meant a lot to me and it was very important for us to win,” says Masinga.
“Qualifying for the World Cup for the first time was something special for us as a team. We prepared ourselves well for all the games that we played. What really inspired me was the good team spirit in the Bafana Bafana camp. We were always determined to help each other and make the nation proud,” he says.
Masinga became a superstar from humble beginnings. As a boy, he played football in the dusty streets of Stilfontein, a mining town in North West Province. His professional career started at Jomo Cosmos in 1987 before spending three successful years at Mamelodi Sundowns.
“We had some good players at Cosmos, the likes of Augustine Makalakalane, the late Thomas Madigage and Helman Mkhalele. At that time we were doing very well at Cosmos and we used to give some big teams a tough time whenever they played against us,” he says.
“My move to Sundowns was another step forward in my career and we won some important trophies. I played alongside many top strikers at Sundowns and we used to keep the defenders from the opposition busy. I remember when Daniel Mudau came to us; we used to play well together, scoring some important goals for the team.”
In 1994, his transfer to Leeds United in the English Premier League, along with Lucas Radebe, made headlines and the club’s fans called him Waltzing Masinga. His opportunities at a star-studded Leeds were limited and after two seasons, he moved to St Gallen in Switzerland where he stayed for seven months. He then went to Italy where he played for Salernitana and Bari.
“Coming from the South African league straight to Leeds United in England was a remarkable achievement for me. The standard of soccer at Leeds was very high. It was a different environment because of the weather but as a professional I managed to cope in those conditions. It was good for me that I was surrounded by quality players at Leeds. My fellow countryman Lucas Radebe and Anthony Yeboah from Ghana then came to join me at Leeds. It was good to have them around.”
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3668" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/CTP6086-889x1024-260x300.jpg" alt="" width="260" height="300" />
“When I went to Switzerland it was much easier for me to adapt and settle quickly because of the experience I had at Leeds. I did not stay long there however the short time that I spent there was fine for me. In Italy, I stayed for one season at Salernitania and I spent four years at Bari. It was a wonderful experience that I went through in Italy because the standard of soccer there is also very competitive and I managed to improve as a player,” he says.
Masinga made a huge impact in South African colors. He was part of the team that won the African Cup of Nations in 1996.
“Winning the African Cup of Nations in 1996 was a great honor for the team. It is the biggest competition in Africa so I was very excited. The team played very well during the games that we won. We had a strong technical team and the support we got at home was very important.”
He scored great goals for the national team and was comfortable partnering any striker that was picked alongside him.
“As a striker I enjoyed my role in the national team and I partnered upfront with the different strikers. Whether I combined with Mark Williams or Shaun Bartlett it was very important for me to deliver for the team,” says Masinga, who scored 18 goals in 58 matches for Bafana Bafana.
Life hasn’t been easy since his playing days. Masinga went from being a multi-millionaire to bankrupt. In recent years, South African newspapers have reported that he had to move back into his mother’s house and sell his football souvenirs.
Masinga is still very passionate about the game. He has the Safa Level One coaching qualification and is currently studying sports administration. He is involved with a development project that aims to produce the superstars of the future.
“Soccer has always been part of my life, that is why I am inspired to give back to the game. (Former captain of South Africa) Neil Tovey and I are busy scouting and recruiting the up and coming youngsters who are the future Bafana Bafana stars. I enjoy guiding the youngsters. I feel there is a lot of talent in South Africa and it is important to help the youngsters in a good organized structure like we are doing. These youngsters that we are coaching are showing great promise, they do well when we organize friendly games against other top PSL teams. They have a bright future.”
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3667" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/CTP6082-1024x684-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />
“When the right time comes, I feel I can also contribute to the game as an administrator. Through my experience as a player and coach, I feel I have what it takes to add value as an administrator,” he says.
Masinga has achieved so much on the field and is now leading the way off it as well.

From Dusty Streets  To European Dreams

South Africa is the sleeping giant of African football. The national side has regressed since they won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996 and 21 coaching changes since that triumph is a sign of the team’s underachievement.
The latest coach to step up to the plate and try steer the country back to the top tier is Shakes Mashaba. When he was announced as Gordon Igesund’s successor, fans celebrated the appointment. They believe he is the right man for the high-pressure job due to his previous stints with Bafana Bafana and his impressive record with the national junior teams.
Mashaba is pleased to be sitting at the top table again and he promises nothing but success. Though aware of the challenges he is facing, he is confident he will deliver good results.
“I feel honored that I have been appointed as Bafana Bafana coach again. I am very thankful to the [South African Football Association] for the confidence that they have showed in me by giving me this job. Everyone loves a winner and I know that our fans want to see Bafana Bafana doing well,” says Mashaba.
His confidence is not misplaced. He believes he has everything at his disposal to succeed.
“We have talent in South Africa and we have so many top quality players that I feel they can do a good job for our national team. I know the strength of our players and what they are capable of. I am confident that we will play good football and the people will enjoy it. We will improve.”
South Africans are equally optimistic because of Mashaba’s ability to identify raw talent and his willingness to give young players an opportunity. While in charge of Amajita, the South African Under-20 team, they were crowned Cosafa champions and they recently qualified for the African Youth Championship.
Mashaba is also involved with the Nedbank Ke Yona team, a development side that played against South Africa’s football giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. He insists that development projects like this will be a priority for him as it will ultimately benefit Bafana Bafana.
“It is good when we identify talent at an early age. We give the youngsters the necessary coaching while they are still young so that they can develop in good structures and end up becoming shining stars for Bafana Bafana,” he says.
“I enjoy working with the youngsters, just look at our success with the Under-20s. I feel that there is a bright future for our players in the Under-20 squad and I have confidence that they will achieve a lot wherever they compete.”
Finding the players that make up the Ke Yona team wasn’t always easy but the hard work is staring to pay off.
“I am very impressed with the progress of the program. We have a good vision when we go deep in some rural parts of the country and find talented players who are determined to have an impact in football. It was very encouraging to see the youngsters giving their best against the two big professional teams. I feel that it will be good for football when some of those youngsters get an opportunity to play in some of the Premier Soccer League teams because they have tremendous potential,” he says.
When Mashaba announced his team selection for the African Cup of Nations qualifier against Sudan, his first match in charge of South Africa, he chose players on merit rather than reputation. His players responded to the confidence Mashaba placed in them and produced some exciting attacking football in a 3-0 win away from home.
“We follow the players and look at how they are performing at their different clubs. All the players that we select we feel that they can add the value in the Bafana Bafana squad,” he says.
“I was expecting a tough game from Sudan considering the conditions that we were facing playing away from home. I am happy that our players responded well and we managed to score three good goals.”
Mashaba was determined to keep that positive run going when South Africa hosted their biggest rivals, Nigeria, in a crucial match in Cape Town. The much anticipated clash against the reigning African champions ended in a goalless draw despite South Africa dominating the game. South Africa’s midfield controlled the game but the perennial problem of wastefulness in front of goal let them down.
“We don’t have a good record against Nigeria so we knew very well that it was going to be a highly competitive game. We played well and we created so many scoring opportunities, it was just a pity that we did not score,” says a rueful Mashaba.
“The players gave their best.”
Despite his stature in African football and the promising start he has made in his tenure, Mashaba is reluctant to take any praise that is thrown his way. Instead, he credits his assistant coaches, Owen Da Gama and Thabo Senong.
“I have a strong technical team. The coaches that I work with at Bafana Bafana are very committed. We work well together as a team and make decisions that will help the team get good results,” he says.
Mashaba is modest and hard working. He is also a proud South African and needs the country’s full support so he can get the most out of a team that for so long has flattered to deceive. Let’s hope he will be given a fair chance as he deserves to lead his country at the next World Cup.

Shaking A Sleeping Giant

The house in Mbalenhle Avenue, Secunda, in Mpumalanga, is a monument to May Mahlangu’s maternal grandmother, Joanna. She brought up the football star and his younger brother, Bafana, after they were orphaned.
“It was a tough time, and it builds your character. There is no one to look up to—no mother or father to advise you. My grandmother was there to inspire us. She told us that nothing comes easy. You have to work very hard to be successful,” says Mahlangu.
Mahlangu built the house for his grandmother after glory at the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
In this tournament, Mahlangu grew into one of Africa’s most exciting attacking midfielders since Steven Pienaar. His equalizer against Morocco ensured his country safe passage to the quarter-finals.
“I dedicated that goal to her and I am happy she saw me scoring that goal. She raised me from an early age and I would not be here if it were not for her. She also allowed me to join Remember FC in Secunda, at age 12, and Stars of Africa Football Academy at 15. I owe her my life as a professional soccer player,” says Mahlangu.
Teko Modise was another pivotal figure in Mahlangu’s life; he inspired Mahlangu to pursue football professionally.
“I always watched him, while he played for Orlando Pirates, Sundowns and Bafana. He was my childhood hero,” says Mahlangu.
For the past two seasons, Mahlangu, a Bafana Bafana midfielder, has been linked with several top European clubs, but his Swedish side Helsingborg IF has managed to hold on to him. The 2011 Swedish Player of the Year has been a revelation for South Africa during the past six months.
Gavin Hunt, former coach of SuperSport United, considers him and Dean Furman to be the best midfield-combination for the national team.
Boebie Solomons—a former Bafana Bafana under 20 coach and current assistant coach at Bloemfontein Celtic—agrees.
“May and Dean have been the biggest difference between the current Bafana Bafana team and the national group under its predecessor Pitso Mosimane. Take those two players away, and we are back at square one.”
David Nyathi, current under 19 coach at Ajax Cape Town and former Bafana Bafana stalwart, adds  Reneilwe Letsholonyane to the mix, calling the three midfielders: “a pleasing triangle”.
Farouk Khan, director of the Stars of Africa Football Academy, says Furman plays the defensive role as midfielder, while Mahlangu is the offensive spark, with Letsholonyane excelling as distributor and organizer.
Khan saw Mahlangu evolve at the academy, when the young 15-year-old player joined. Mahlangu’s speed and endurance made him the best amongst the academy’s intake at the time.
“His bleep test [or 20 meter shuttle run test to estimate an athlete’s maximum oxygen intake] was a 16 or 17,” says Khan.
Solomons says Mahlangu’s awareness and vision separate him from the rest.
“He has the ability to determine, almost immediately, when he receives the ball, whether to counterattack and initiate a speedy build-up with turn over possession to release the strikers, or not. He can keep the ball glued to his feet while looking up, almost like a Zinedine Zidane. May is a three-in-one player: an initiator, a participator and a finisher,” he says.
Mahlangu must still improve his final pass, according to Hunt.
Lucas Radebe, former Bafana Bafana captain, says that Mahlangu is not a total player until he improves the defensive side of the game.
No player becomes a part of the elite without pain and some luck. Mahlangu has to survive setbacks and injuries for years if he is to become one of the greats.
“What impressed me about May, is his character. He is a born leader, with no fear of failure, with self-belief, confidence and a coachable spirit. He is the epitome of a complete modern-day footballer,” says Khan.
Mahlangu has already overcome tragedy and poverty—surely he can take anything life throws at him.

MAY TALENT TRIUMPH

All eyes are on new Bafana Bafana head coach, Gordon Igesund, to deliver for the national side as Afcon 2013’s kick-off date draws closer.
Igesund took over from Pitso Mosimane after a string of poor results from Bafana Bafana. He signed a two-year, performance-based contract with the South Africa Football Association (Safa) and has the task of, at the very least, getting Bafana Bafana to the semi-finals of the tournament.
Igesund has a solid track record in South Africa, having won league titles with four different teams—Manning Rangers, Orlando Pirates, Santos and Mamelodi Sundowns.
<div id="attachment_1496" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1496" class="size-medium wp-image-1496" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/1578892-300x233.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="233" />3 Feb 1996: The captain of the winners of the African Cup of Nations Final Neil Tovey of South Africa holds the cup aloft after President Mandela presented it to him. South Africa won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Mark Thompson/ALLSPORT</div>
However, so far results have been patchy. Igesund’s first game in charge was against former world champions Brazil. They lost 1-0 but Bafana Bafana’s overall performance was impressive. Igesund was content with the high work rate that players displayed on the field. His second test was against low-ranked Mozambique. Bafana Bafana won 2-0 convincingly against their neighbors. Bafana Bafana showed great character and strong determination against Poland but were unlucky to lose 1-0, away from home. Most recently, Bafana Bafana managed to bag a victory at the expense of Kenya with a 2-1 score in an interesting battle.
Igesund believes the results show that the team is on the right track as they gear up for Afcon 2013 that kicks off at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.
“I have confidence in our players, that they have what it takes to deliver. [During] my first game, when we played against Brazil, I did not spend a lot of time with the players but they displayed high standard performances and gave Brazil a tough game.
“The players were playing an exciting passing game and they complemented each other well. It was a pity Brazil scored and we ended up losing,” says the coach.
In their most recent game, Igesund says that Bafana was faced with tough conditions but prevailed.
“It was a bumpy pitch, but we did cope and got a win away from home. That was an important result for us,” he says.
Still the pressure is on for the coach. The glory days of the 1996 Bafana Bafana team, under coach Clive Barker, that lifted the trophy means the team has high expectations. Afcon is back on South African soil and the nation will remember the 2-0 victory over Tunisia with goals delivered off the boot of striker Mark Williams.
Igesund says support is crucial.
“The support that we have from the nation will motivate us.”
South Africa has a dream start to the tournament that kicks off on January 19, at Soccer City in Johannesburg. They are in group A and will kick-off with a match against debutantes Cape Verde. Also in the group are Morocco and Angola.
Igesund says they’ll be ready and won’t dismiss Cape Verde or any of the other teams in the group.
“We will be ready to make the country proud by the time the tournament starts. Cape Verde might be making their debut in the finals but they will be a tough team considering they eliminated giants like Cameroon. Morocco is one strong team and Angola cannot be underestimated,” says Igesund.
It’s all about starting on a good footing.
“We have to take all our opening games seriously, in order to do well in our group.”
Bafana Bafana has a number of challenges. Former captain Steven Pienaar, who played for Everton in the English Premiership, has retired from international football.
Igesund has recalled Benedict McCarthy. Though experienced, the Orlando Pirates forward has been out of action for a while due to injury. The other influential player who is also uncertain is Kaizer Chiefs defender Morgan Gould. Igesund has not been able to select him for recent games because Gould has been battling with a long-term injury.
And most tragically, the squad will also be without first assistant coach Thomas Madigage who was killed in a car crash in October. The loss of Madigage has hit the Bafana camp hard.
“Tommy was very close to me. It is unfortunate that he will not be around during the tournament. He was a very important member in the team,” says Igesund.

Gordon Is Ready for Anything

The stadium was chanting his name. People were everywhere—in the aisles, hanging on the railings—all pushing for a glimpse of the game. The match was sold out and the crowd was moving constantly. Every person was shouting out one name. 
“Madiba! Madiba!” 
Nelson Mandela was out on the field wearing the captain’s jersey of Neil Tovey—a carbon copy of his appearance at the South African rugby triumph the year before. 
It was the Africa Cup of Nations final at FNB stadium, in Johannesburg, on February 2, 1996. 
Bafana Bafana or ‘Boys Boys’ were playing Tunisia. En route to the final, South Africa had beaten giants Cameroon in the group stages and Ghana in the semi-final.
<div id="attachment_506" style="width: 484px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-506" class="size-large wp-image-506" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Par6857705-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="474" height="316" />Zambia national football team players celebrate their victory at the end of the African Cup of Nations final football match between Ivory Coast and Zambia at the Stade de l&#8217;Amitie in Libreville, on February 12, 2012. AFP PHOTO / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI</div>
The nation was behind them and 80,000 people crammed into the stadium as Bafana Bafana lifted the cup as the undisputed kings of African football; confirmation that South Africa—after years of exile because of apartheid—was the vibrant and emerging power in African football. 
Sixteen years later and the national team is an embarrassment. As small nations from Botswana to Gabon vied for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in recent weeks, the South African team could only watch on TV. It was even more embarrassing because one of the reasons South Africa failed to qualify is that no-one had bothered to read the rule book. 
Playing the final game of the qualifiers, Bafana played at home against Sierra Leone in Nelspruit. The team and the coaches believed they only needed a draw to progress to the continental tournament on goal difference. They played to a 0-0 draw, and at the final whistle the crowd erupted as the home team danced on the pitch in celebration. 
Minutes later, the team was informed that they had better stop celebrating because they had not made it. Rule 14.1 clearly states the team with the “greater number of points obtained in the matches between the concerned teams” will go through. 
In short, only an outright win by Bafana in Nelspruit would have guaranteed them qualification. 
The South African Football Association (SAFA), in a knee-jerk reaction, launched an appeal to the Confederation of African Football (CAF). 
SAFA president, Kirsten Nematandani, infamously told TV news station eNews: “Those rules are wrong.” 
When it became abundantly clear that the rules were not wrong and South Africa had not, in fact, been victimized and cheated, SAFA admitted to misreading the rule book. 
Many were quick to call for the head of national coach Pitso Mosimane, and while he should share some of the responsibility, his job is on the pitch. 
The coach always has to fight to get players released from the local clubs when they are called up for national duty and SAFA does not always help. It’s quite simple; to get players released, international fixtures have to be scheduled on FIFA-sanctioned dates as clubs are then required to allow players the national call-up. 
But this is seldom the case, and clubs then have the right to refuse players. It means Mosimane will rarely have the luxury of calling on a first choice team. Then, when the team underperforms, he is the one to feel the criticism. 
Matters came to a head in January, when Mosimane was forced to pick what was effectively classed a ‘third team’, for matches against big guns Zambia and Ghana. 
SAFA downgraded the fixtures from international friendlies to ‘practice matches’, fearing South Africa would plummet down the rankings with this side. As it turned out, Mosimane’s charges were able to draw both matches, which was particularly impressive against Ghana—one of the favorites for the Africa Cup of Nations. 
After the Ghana match, Mosimane—with the pressure seemingly getting to him—launched a verbal tirade against the media. 
“How many times have you written my obituary?” were his first words in the post-match press conference. 
The rift between Mosimane and SAFA is clear for all to see, but the mighty association of football in the rainbow nation does not seem overly concerned. 
Another problem the national team has, and it is not a new one, is that the best South African players head overseas and do not see the honor in representing their national team. 
A prime example is Benni McCarthy. He is South Africa’s all-time leading top goal scorer and in his prime snubbed Bafana. 
After making his debut for the team in 1997 as a 19-year-old, he soon rose to superstar status and was the joint top scorer at the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations. 
Then, after his second FIFA World Cup in 2002 where the team failed to make it through to the knockout stages, he announced his retirement from international football at the age of 25, when he would have been just reaching his prime. 
He came out of retirement after two years, but South Africa did not qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and effectively ended his world cup career. 
The reason, one can only surmise, is that a national contract would not be able to offer him anything close to what he would get at his club side, where he was just starting out at Portuguese side Porto. 
His story is typical of the situation in which South Africa finds itself: players who are world-class leave, never to return. The national side is made up of a collection of decent club performers, but will never be a team that can compete with the best in the world. 
SAFA needs to start being proactive—year after year, they make the same promises and the media and the public are tiring. 
Bafana Bafana should not be seen as the ugly step-child that nobody wants, and SAFA needs to stop making simple problems complicated. The national team have to be allowed the best possible team whenever they play and SAFA must realize that in a football-mad country, the beautiful game can help unify a nation as it did all those years ago.

Tag: Bafana Bafana

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