Bafana Bafana’s reputation has nosedived since those heady days the national football team experienced in the late 90s and early 2000s.
South Africa hasn’t experienced the euphoria of winning an Africa Cup of Nations since 1996, or the sheer thrill of seeing the gold and green colours of Bafana gracing a World Cup stage.
Bafana haven’t even qualified for a continental tournament outside the country since Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira’s side sneaked in through the back door to qualify for the 2008 Afcon in Ghana.
However, new coach Shakes Mashaba and the players, who are in the national squad for the upcoming 2015 qualifiers against Congo-Brazzaville in Point-Noire on Saturday and Polokwane on Wednesday, want to change that fact and win back the people’s hearts.
Big defender Tefu Mashamaite knows all about winning back the affection of supporters. The centre back and his Kaizer Chiefs teammates took a lot of flack after they let the league title slip out of their hands last season, when they were hauled in by Mamelodi Sundowns after building up a commanding lead in the standings.
This season, however, Amakhosi are on a 12-game unbeaten run in all competitions and have already won a cup. So, it’s safe to say their fans are smiling again.
Mashamaite is hoping that he and his Chiefs teammates can make the same positive contribution to Mashaba’s revolution.
“The spirit of positivity always rubs off in a good way, especially as the coach wants a change in mindset,” Mashamaite said after a gruelling training session in the heat of Rustenburg yesterday.
“We don’t want to be known as Bafana Bafana the whipping boys of the African continent anymore. We need to change that and change that mentality. And these qualifiers are a good place to start.”
But Mashamaite knows it’s not going to be easy, especially away in the Congo.
One of his most vivid football memories was the picture of Mark Fish’s bloody face in 1997 during Bafana’s World Cup qualifier in the oil-rich coastal city.
He also played for Chiefs against AS Vita in the DRC – next door to the Republic of Congo and experienced the pressure of playing in front of a hostile and partisan crowd.
“I was about 14 years old when Bafana went to that World Cup qualifier in 1997. I still remember the vivid pictures of Mark Fish, and what they went through prior the game with the troops,” he said.
“Obviously, 18 years later there are going to be changes, but you can’t expect anything different on the field. It’s going to be physical.
“I also went to DRC with Chiefs when we played AS Vita. It was hot, but the stadium was packed an hour before the game. The crowd wanted to make it difficult for us and I don’t think it’s going to be any different on Saturday.”
Mashamaite looks set to start next to his Kaizer Chiefs teammate Erick ‘Tower’ Mathoho at the heart of the Bafana defence.
It will be his fourth cap in Bafana colours after playing his last match in the defeat to Nigeria during the African Nations Championship (Chan) at the beginning of the year.
However, the 30-year-old says he didn’t expect to pull the national jersey over his head after that ill-fated tournament.
“To be honest, I never thought I would play for Bafana again,” he said. “Tower and I have formed a good partnership at Chiefs, but I still have to work hard to get a nod.
“But things happen in life. The coach stated that, with my performance for my club, he couldn’t really ignore me.
“You look at the average age of the group, it’s about 26. I’m 30-years-old and Yeye (Reneilwe Letsholonyane) is 32. So we will be looking to add some experience to the team.
“Having said that, guys like Andile Jali and others have been around. Even at his age, he has been through the wars. Senzo Meyiwa has been to an African Champions League final. We are a young but experience team.” - The Star