Given resuts of the matches in other groups, it would appear that Bafana Bafana’s spot in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) round of 16 is guaranteed. South Africa’s senior national team need only avoid defeat to Tunisia on Wednesday night and they will be in the knockout phase.
Yet, nothing can be taken for granted – as the outcomes of some clashes in the tournament taking place in the Ivory Coast have shown. Defeat against the Carthage Eagles and Namibia getting something out of their clash with Mali and Bafana will be coming back home.
It is for that reason that I am not sharing in the seemingly blind enthusiasm that is prevailing among my compatriots.
Of course, I am rooting for our boys to make it to the knockouts but I’d rather advocate for cautious optimism. That we smashed (4-0) a Namibian outfit that won against Tunisia has got many thinking we have the beating of the North Africans. I’ve already had a colleague remind me that we beat them 2-0 when we won the tournament back in 1996 and another was waxing lyrical about how magical it would be if Hugo Broos’ men were to produce a repeat of that gloriously iconic moment in our football.
And I am with them. I am silently saying prayers for that to be the case.
I have, however, also experienced some disappointments courtesy of Bafana at this level to know that they are not the type to invest fully in. Leave room for disappointment is my approach when it comes to our national team.
Against Tunisia in particular, there can be no taking things for granted. Of course, we beat them in 1996. And we also got the better of them in 2000, albeit through the shoot-out from the penalty spot after a 2-2 draw in the third place play off.
It is our record against them in the group stage though that has me a little jittery. We all are aware that it is win or bust for Tunisia, right? They will surely walk on to the pitch and throw everything bar the proverbial kitchen sink at Bafana and the knowledge they’ve always beaten us during the round robin phase giving them confidence they have our number. We have played them twice and on both occasions we have suffered. And I was ‘unfortunate’ to be at both matches.
Back in 2006 in Egypt when the late Ted Dumitru’s hyped-up team suffered the ignominy of going through the tournament winless, drawless, pointless and goalless, one of their losses was a 2-0 reverse against Tunisia on a very cold Alexandria evening at the Haras El Hodoud Stadium.
Any thoughts that the defeat was a fluke, an aberration that came about due to Ol’ Loud Mouth’s (Dumitru) naivety, were erased two years later when Ghana hosted the tournament and the two countries again found themselves in the same group.
Then, Bafana were coached by the revered World Cup-winning Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira and hope had sprung eternal among my compatriots that we would shine on the biggest stage.
But that was not to be, although the boys did get two points courtesy of draws in the opening and final group matches against Angola and Senegal respectively. But in between, Tunisia did the damage - the Carthage Eagles smashing us 3-1 in Tamale. It was a no-contest really, Santos – who had scored in the 2006 win – helping himself to a first half brace as Tunisia raced to a 3-0 before the break. Katlego Mphela’s goal three minutes from the end merely served as proof Bafana were in the match.
It all paints a gloomy outlook, right? But it could well be a case of third-time lucky for Bafana in group clashes against Tunisia. I certainly hope so, although.....
There’s this small fact. It is my birthday today – January 24. And twice at the Afcon I’ve endured disappointment courtesy of Bafana.
In that very tournament we won back in 1996, I went to the old FNB Stadium cock-a-hoop resplendent in a top that identified me as South African, and I got miniature national flags painted on both my cheeks upon arrival at the venue for good measure.
I, and the rest of the about 20 000 crowd, were in no doubt our boys would reign supreme over Egypt. We had, after all, hammered the revered Cameroon 3-0 in the opening match a few days prior. We had followed that up with a 1-0 victory over Angolan to secure qualification for the knockout stage. And then there was the small matter of Bafana’s win over the Pharaohs in the Simba Four Nations Cup a few months before. We were favourites alright! But alas we lost, Mohamed El-Kass scoring the solitary goal of the match. It was a sad birthday for yours truly.
In 2002 we were in Segou, Mali and I reported on the goalless draw that Carlos Quieroz’s team played against Ghana. That result left us in danger of exiting the tournament early, Bafana having drawn their opening match against Burkina Faso and were to face a Morocco side that had already beaten Burkina Faso and drawn with the Black Stars.
I am choosing to be optimistic though and believe that things will improve this time around – we have lost and drawn AFCON matches on my birthday. Surely, next up it must be a win, right? If not for my birthday, then for my twin and their teammate and midfielder Teboho Mokoena who turns 27 today.
What are the permutations for Bafana?
A victory over Tunisia will get Bafana Bafana over the line and into the next round of the Africa Cup of Nations.
A draw will also be enough to see them through, either as group runners up, or as one of the third placed qualifiers.
A defeat, however, could disastrous and lead to a nervous situation where they have to wait for the results from Thursday’s Group F games.
If Bafana Bafana lose, and Namibia win their game against Mali, the journey will be over for Broos’ men, and they will be on the first plane back to South Africa on Thursday.
IOL Sport