After Bafana Bafana’s 2-0 win over Angola, South Africans are now developing more interest in the on going Africa Cup of Nations.
Until the game with Angola in Durban on Wednesday, the average South African was skeptical about the home team.
They had little confidence in the Boys as the team in popularly known and that state of mind was strengthened by the dour barren draw on the opening day against debutantes Cape Verde.
Attendance on the first day at the expansive Soccer City was anything but capacity and on Wednesday it was no better yet with the performance and the fact that their team is one point away from the quarter finals, South Africans are now taking to the team.
“We have been used to disappointments. The team has not been performing well and we feared they will shame us on home soil. At least now we can go cheer them and give them the final push to the quarter finals,” said Bibo Mphuleza a shopkeeper.
But Bafana Bafana are not out of the woods yet. They must produce an even better performance when they play Morocco in Durban on Sunday.
A draw could be good enough for them but if they lose and Cape Verde collects three points off Angola on the same day in Port Elizabeth, the home nation will not have a team in the competition any more. Cape Verde and Morocco, who played to a one all draw in Durban, have two points each. Angola has one.
Coach Gordon Igesund says the spirit in the team is now returning while former Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe says the team can repeat the performance of 1996 when they won the cup on home soil.
“We can perform beyond expectation. What the team needed was a performance that will bring confidence in the squad and they have achieved that. Now they need to make it to the quarters and from there it will be easy to go all the way,” said Radebe a member of the 1996 winning squad.
Igesund says the team has what it takes to win the title.
“There was great cohesion in the team that played against Angola. We are slowly getting back to shape and I’m looking forward to a great game when we face off with Morocco. This is a tournament we have to be at our best in all games,” said Igesund.
Igesund added, “We just had to go for it, you know. We were not prepared to lose the game. I told the players they’ve got to start believing in themselves, I believe in them. We played four at the back with only one holding midfielder and the rest of them were attacking, and I was confident that the back four with a holding player would do the job today, and they did.”
“Now we have to strategise for the next game,” he added.
Centre-back Siyabonga Sangweni struck on 30 minutes to end a 315-minute goal drought by Bafana Bafana (The Boys) and substitute striker Lehlohonolo Majoro grabbed the second just past the hour mark
Organisers here hope South Africa will perform well in their final game to keep local interest in the competition.