AFCON conversation with Andre Arendse

Over quarter of a century on, South Africa’s 1996 iconic Afcon triumph remains the high point for Bafana Bafana. This monumental victory, however, remains our only triumph in the tournament’s history. The team had only played together for a short period, with world football governing body Fifa lifting SA’s expulsion from the international stage in 1991 as the racist system of apartheid was finally abolished. The Springboks’ world-conquering victory in the 1995 Rugby World Cup had given the team buoyancy. They felt they needed to maintain the high spirits of the country following the 1994 elections, as well as that iconic Bok triumph.

The Boks did it again just a few months ago. Can Bafana do it again? Time will tell, but for now, a man who was there in 1996, who knows what holding that trophy aloft means, is here with us and he’ll tell us if the current generation can go all the way and emulate the class of ‘96. Andre Arendse everyone….