And with South Africa hosting the showpiece again, we take a trip down memory lane and look back at how Bafana Bafana beat the continent’s best to lift the trophy at Soccer City.
Bafana came into the competition on the back of some good form in the Simba Cup (a draw and two wins) and a morale boosting goalless draw against World Cup ’94 quarter-finalists Germany. And, with their rugby counterparts doing the nation proud [in winning the World Cup in 1995], the pressure was on to deliver in their first African adventure.
And deliver they did, putting to the sword a Cameroon side featuring a young Rigobert Song, beating the west Africans 3-0 in the opening game. Bafana went on to win their second group game against Angola by a solitary goal, but were quickly brought back down to earth, losing 1-0 to Egypt.
Despite the loss, they still qualified top of their group on goal-difference, avoiding rampant Group B winners Zambia. Their quarter-final opponents were Algeria, who they narrowly beat 2-1.
The dangerous Black Stars of Ghana lay next for Clive Barker and his boys but, inspired by John ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu, they thumped the west Africans 3-0 to book their place in the Final.
The rest, as they say, is history as Bafana defeated Tunisia 2-0 thanks to a brace from second half substitute Mark Williams, resulting in the most famous of scenes as Neil Tovey received the trophy from President Nelson Mandela.
1996 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS
GROUP A
Saturday, 13 January 1996
Venue: Soccer City, Johannesburg
South Africa (2) 3 (P Masinga 14 Williams 37 Moshoeu 55)
Cameroon 0
Ref: Said Belqoba (Morocco)
SA: (4-4-2) Andre Arendse - Sizwe Motaung, Mark Fish, Neil Tovey (capt), David Nyathi - Doctor Khumalo, Eric Tinkler, Linda Buthelezi (Helman Mkhalele 58th), John Moshoeu - Mark Williams (Shaun Bartlett 70th), Phil Masinga (August Makalakalane 82nd)
Coach: Clive Barker
Saturday, 20 January 1996
Venue: Soccer City, Johannesburg
South Africa (0) 1 (Williams 57)
Angola 0
Ref: Ferid Boucetta (Tunisia)
Cautions: P Masinga, Joni
SA: (4-4-2) Andre Arendse - Sizwe Motaung, Mark Fish, Neil Tovey (capt), David Nyathi - Doctor Khumalo (Lucas Radebe 76th), Eric Tinkler, Linda Buthelezi (Helman Mkhalele 71st), John Moshoeu - Mark Williams (Shaun Bartlett 88nd), Phil Masinga
Coach: Clive Barker
Wednesday, 24 January 1996
Venue: Soccer City, Johannesburg
South Africa 0
Egypt (1) 1 (El Kass 7)
Ref: Lucien Bouchardeau (Niger)
Cautions: Tovey, Mkhalele, Bartlett; Maher
SA: (4-4-2) Andre Arendse - Sizwe Motaung, Mark Fish, Neil Tovey (capt), David Nyathi - August Makalakalane (John Moshoeu 39th), Eric Tinkler, Lucas Radebe (Zane Moosa 76th), Helman Mkhalele - Mark Williams, Phil Masinga (Shaun Bartlett 71st)
Coach: Clive Barker
Quarter-final
Saturday, 27 January 1996
Venue: Soccer City, Johannesburg
South Africa (0) 2 (Fish 72 Moshoeu 85)
Algeria (0) 1 (Lazizi 84)
Ref: Ali Bujsaim (United Arab Emirates)
Cautions: Radebe, P Masinga; Lazizi, El Ouazani, Hamdani
SA: (4-4-2) Andre Arendse - Sizwe Motaung, Mark Fish, Neil Tovey
(capt), Lucas Radebe - Doctor Khumalo (Helman Mkhalele 79th), Eric Tinkler, Linda Buthelezi, John Moshoeu - Mark Williams (Shaun Bartlett 76th), Phil Masinga
Coach: Clive Barker
Semi-final
Wednesday, 31 January 1996
Venue: Soccer City, Johannesburg
South Africa (1) 3 (Moshoeu 22, 87 Bartlett 46)
Ghana 0
Ref: Gamal El Ghandour (Egypt)
Cautions: Tinkler, Khumalo; Johnson
Dismissal: Lamptey 85
SA: (4-4-2) Andre Arendse - Sizwe Motaung, Mark Fish, Neil Tovey
(capt), Lucas Radebe - Doctor Khumalo, Eric Tinkler, Linda Buthelezi (John Moeti 76th), John Moshoeu - Mark Williams, Shaun Bartlett (Daniel Mudau 84th)
Coach: Clive Barker
Final
Saturday, 3 February 1996
Venue: Soccer City, Johannesburg
South Africa (0) 2 (Williams 72, 74)
Ref.: Charles Massembe (Uganda)
Cautions: Buthelezi; Jaballah, Hanini
SA: (4-4-2) Andre Arendse - Sizwe Motaung, Mark Fish, Neil Tovey
(capt), Lucas Radebe - Doctor Khumalo, Eric Tinkler, Linda Buthelezi (Helman Mkhalele 51st), John Moshoeu - Shaun Bartlett, Phil Masinga (Mark Williams 65th)
Coach: Clive Barker
Your comments on this story...
I wonder who our coach will be after Afcon. Gordon is definitely gonna get fired as he will fail to reach the semi's.
Hopefully we'll get a coach who will not ignore the country's best talent.
SOUTH AFRICA IS READY....now let's put favoritism aside pls and support the chosen one....only sports can make us unite and conquer destruction in our country....pls pirates,sundowns and chiefs let's do dat 4 de sake of inity...\"We've come a long way\\"...may GOD of grace and love pls help our beloved nation
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Well said, as a Chiefs follower, I fully support your statement and is is a sign of maturity in our football, May our Lord Jesus Christ bless the country with this prestigeous trophy to once again make another historical moment for Mzansi.
I think our downfall was in the 2002 World Cup when we were knocked out of the group stages and our players sang their heart out as if they had won something. If I'm not mistaken, Fifa even rewarded us for good sportsmanship or something along those lines. This was the start of mediocrity. Look where we are now.
I wonder who our coach will be after Afcon. Gordon is definitely gonna get fired as he will fail to reach the semi's.
Hopefully we'll get a coach who will not ignore the country's best talent.
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Sir, you cannot gho back now, I concure with you in that there are some players which we all feel should have been selected, but its too late now, we need to focus on supporting our country no matter what.
ALL THE BEST TO THE BOYS!!!
For GI and the boys I put my biases aside.
Now having done all there is
it is time to sing the song of unity!
And yes, in my country I rally behind!
We need players in the National Team jersey who first and foremost know the National Anthem. And we need players who are ready to die for the national team. The same attitude iNgubo has for Pirates, we need it at International level. So far, I've seen only Thabo Matlaba showing passion in that ugly tight puma jersey
As far as I'm concerned, they shouldn't even get paid to play for the national team. To play for your country is an honor, a privilege. If SAFA wanted to win this tournament, they should've said, No player representing the country will get paid. Then those who want to play for their country were gonna show up, and those who want money were gonna go back to their clubs. Then we were gonna have hope that we have the best players representing in this tournament. Players who are true South Africans.
We live together, we die together, SA for life.
This was gonna be our motto.
Where is the spirit of 1996?
Will we get another local coach who selects players based on how many videos they posted on Youtube? You tell me
I'm a true South African.
I will never stoop low and support mediocrity and favoritism.
If Gordon XI makes it to the semi's, I will be happy for them.
But I'm realistic. Gordon XI won't win this tournament, and certainly won't reach the semi's.
Our new coach will take us to Brazil 2014 because we do have players who are not in the squad who have the ability to win this tournament without even having a coach. Luis Boa Morte said it better.
We live together, we die together, SA for life.
I love this motto
Gordon will be praised for preparing a team in short space n SAFA will be credited for hosting AFCON under pressure n in short space as well.
The boys will praised for declining to get bonuses.
As far as I'm concerned, they shouldn't even get paid to play for the national team. To play for your country is an honor, a privilege. If SAFA wanted to win this tournament, they should've said, No player representing the country will get paid. Then those who want to play for their country were gonna show up, and those who want money were gonna go back to their clubs. Then we were gonna have hope that we have the best players representing in this tournament. Players who are true South Africans.
We live together, we die together, SA for life.
This was gonna be our motto.
Where is the spirit of 1996?
Will we get another local coach who selects players based on how many videos they posted on Youtube? You tell me
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Oh Please so in other words the parliamentarians shouldn't get paid....The same mentality ANC has towards Soldiers
deBuc
posted: 08:06 am | Report
They must go and win the tournament. They must go all the way. They must not get xcited abt beating Cape Verde. We want the trophy finish and klaar!!! Den I will start respecting dem. Im not gonna celebrate semi finals or 2nd place cause in my books its a FAIL!!
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Especially in our backyard!!!
My only problem is Nematendani, he was brought back to fix these games. i hope Fifa is watching him and his crew.
eish Sangweni should have faked an injury because in all fairness, without him, this defence is nothing.