Bafana Lost files

Remember the glory days of Bafana Bafana? From the electric atmosphere of the 2010 World Cup to the iconic 1996 AFCON victory, South Africa has tasted footballing greatness. But where did it all go?

So Bafana Bafana is going through some shit right now, we as a country have given up hope on our men’s national football team. It’s been 18 years since we qualified for a FIFA World Cup, which was Korea/Japan in 2002, after that we have been boosted with entering rather than qualify for tournaments. Hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a gift from God yet we couldn’t even go past the group stage, nothing but tears inside of me, we had a support of 54 million South Africans, and Africa behind us, even financial compensations were put on the table for players to score goals. Even though on the field things didn’t turn out like I had imagined, off the pitch we were a dream. The atmosphere in Mzansi was amazing, schools were closed everyone was happy, parties everywhere, public drinking was legalised and we loved the tourists. That’s one of the most memorable moments in South Africa.

A collage celebrating the 1996 African football team, featuring team photos, players celebrating, and cultural images, set against an orange background with bold black text of the year 1996.

2010 Bafana Bafana had a beautiful Adidas patterned yellow jersey for
the tournament, which half the country rocked be it legit or knock-off’s
from Jozi streets.

Two soccer players, one in a black jersey with the number 5 and another in a yellow jersey, are competing for the ball during a match on a well-kept grass field, with a large crowd of spectators in the stands.
A group of five soccer players in yellow and green team uniforms celebrating on the sideline of a soccer field, with a large crowd of spectators in the background.
A soccer player in a yellow and green uniform is controlling a soccer ball on a grassy field.
Soccer team in green and yellow uniforms lined up for a team photo on the field

I still digs that jersey it brings back memories and at a point where South Africa was one as a country, but the 1996 Bafana jersey by Kappa still remains to be our best jersey. It was a gold and black striped Kappa jersey, loud as f•ck, and quarter to being a disaster of a design. It was a point when we the best in Africa, we played beautiful football ( diski ), and the best Bafana team with Lucas Radebe, Doctor Khumalo, Phil Masinga ( R.I.P ) Shoes Moshoe ( R.I.P ) captained by a rock solid Neil Tovey. We won the AFCON 1996, and that was 2 years after South Africa became a republic, so we were at our prime, we had hope.

A soccer player on the field preparing to kick a soccer ball, wearing a colorful jersey with green shorts and white socks with green accents.
A soccer player wearing a yellow and black striped jersey with the number 10, on a soccer field during a match.
Two soccer players competing for the ball during a match, with one wearing a white and black jersey and the other in a green jersey, on a grassy field with spectators in the background.
A soccer team posing for a team photo on the field, with players wearing white uniforms with green accents, and one player in a black goalkeeper jersey.

2 years later we made it to the 1998 FIFA World Cup with an amazing goal from Phil Masinga vs Congo, oh what a moment, Clive Barker lost his mind with his famous aeroplane celebration and the nation broke into a frenzy. So that jersey resembles Bafana at their peak, Im glad the jersey was worn by our best players, even Benni McCarthy in 1998 Afcon with his four goal banger vs Namibia.

Two soccer players competing for the ball during a match with a crowd of spectators in the background.
A soccer team in yellow and green uniforms with two players in white jackets, gathered for a team photo on a green field with a large stadium crowd in the background.
Two soccer players, one in a blue jersey and the other in a green and yellow jersey, compete for the ball during a match on a grassy field, with other players in the background.
A soccer team in yellow uniforms posing for a group photo on the field, with a crowd in the stands behind them.
Soccer players celebrating a goal on the field with a large crowd in the stands.

Besides Nelson Mandela and Tovey carrying the cup in ‘96 there is one image in our minds that can never be erased, a photo of the Bafana Bafana squad line up in 1996 at the African Cup of Nations. That photo is divine to our eyes, it’s like Lekganyane’s portrait on all the homes of ZCC faithfuls. Those were the gods.

Bafana were rocking a gold and white striped Kappa kit, be it the line up that beat Cameroon 3-0 or the eleven that won the final vs Tunisia, you pick. That kit is now part of football culture, I hope Kappa somehow decides to drop those kits again.

Enjoy the gallery below.

Two male soccer players chasing the ball on a green field during a match.
A soccer player wearing a yellow South Africa national team jersey with the number 7, standing on the field during a game.
Soccer team in uniform on the field, posing for a team photo before a match, with a stadium and spectators in the background.
Two soccer players from opposing teams compete for the ball during a match on the field. The player in yellow and green is wearing jersey number 5, and the player in blue, white, and red is wearing jersey number 7.
Two soccer players, one in yellow and one in red, compete on a grass field with a soccer ball in mid-air during a match.
Two soccer players competing for the ball, one wearing a yellow and green uniform and the other in a red and navy blue uniform, on a green soccer field.
Five male soccer players dressed in yellow and green uniforms, standing on a field during a match, with animated crowd in the background.
A soccer player wearing a yellow and green uniform with the number 23 is about to kick a soccer ball on the field. Several teammates in matching uniforms sit on the bench in the background.