BAFANA BAFANA (South African National Football Team)

Member Name: C_Padd

Product:	South African National Football Team
Date:	17/05/02 (85 review reads)
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South Africa has never lived up to any of their potential at tournaments. Up until 1992 they were excluded from international competitions in response to the apartheid regime and have to watch on TV as other emerging African nations like Cameroon in Italia ’90, Tunisia and Morocco all outstripped them on the field. Having qualified for the last two finals South Africa are keen to make up for lost time.

South Africa qualified for their first ever World Cup finals for France ’98. They backed this up by qualifying for Japan and Korea as well. France was disappointing for many, having won the African Nations Cup in 1996 showing them as the best in Africa they should have done better than being eliminated at the group stages. The team is known as Bafana Bafana hence the title of this opinion.

Some of the players you could recognise in the squad. Lucas Radabe from Leeds United is included despite not having played competitively for over 15 months with knee and ankle trouble. Also in is Manchester United’s left sided midfielder Quinton Fortune and Watford’s Pierre Issa. Other stars to watch out for potentially are Delron Buckley who plays in Germany, Sibusiso Zuma and striker Benni McCarthy. A fair number of South African players are making it in the English game now, the squad includes players who play in Portugal, England, Holland, Italy, Denmark, Russia, Germany and Switzerland. They are coached by Jomo Sono, a recent addition when South Africa sacked their old boss only two months ago.

South Africa are to play in group B of the World Cup alongside Spain, Paraguay and Slovenia. Spain should get through a relatively easy grou p for them, despite a history of under performing. Slovenia are an emerging nation and could surprise people. Despite England 4 Paraguay 0 the South Americans have a good team with the usual qualities. It is hard to see South Africa getting out of this, and like France in 1998 could be taking the
first plane back again. They could be more worried about taking home the wooden spoon as well.

One of the biggest problems faced for South Africa football is the attitude. They have players that are stars such as Zuma, Radabe and McCarthy but they never live out their full internationally. Many of them are playing in the European game and are unwilling to travel long distances cross-continent to play for South Africa. Some players also have the feeling that they are better than others and play for themselves not for the team as a whole. Some lesser nations like Senegal this year have less ability or individual talents but know each other well and play together. Senegal have a tough draw, but have potential to do better and will enjoy the experience. Changes may have to be made in South Africa to become the same success story.

Domestically there are problems. I don’t want to get too political here, but there are some serious problems in South Africa, rising crime and especially violence. One of South Africa’s leading players Doctor Kuhmalo was shot in the leg, threatening his career recently. Sponsorship is finding its way into a weak domestic league, but there are people that are stopping this. There was also a tragedy recently when a packed stadium collapsed through overcrowding, not unlike Hillsborough. Cricket is the rich white mans game in South Africa while the poorer black people play the lower rugby and football. There is a mix of races in the South African team, and thankfully not as much conflict as cricket where they are being forced to select a variety of players.

Overall I would not put too much onto South Africa this year. The players can be individually good, but others will eclipse them for different reasons. Things are going to get better though, this is their second straight World Cup since they were allowed back, and can be the force on the African continent. Not this time though.

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