Extra Time: With top-ranked teams falling by the wayside, Bafana Bafana is showing strength and discipline at the African Cup of Nations, argues Michael Madyira.
Five of Africa’s teams top-ranked by Fifa are out of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament. Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt are, in that order, the top-five teams on the continent.
But they have been sent home after arriving at Afcon as tournament favourites.
To add to those five, Cameroon, Ghana and Burkina Faso, all respected teams on the continent, have gone home too.
That leaves the quarter-finals with South Africa, Angola, Nigeria, DR Congo, Mali, Guinea, Cape Verde and hosts Ivory Coast remaining as contenders for the Afcon title.
Unusually, no North African team made it to the quarter-finals, an indication that things could be changing in African football.
Not to underrate the quarter-finalists, it looks like this is South Africa’s biggest chance for its first Afcon title since 1996.
Hugo Broos’s men will face Cape Verde in the last eight on Saturday and if they win, they will meet the winner between Nigeria and Angola in the semi-finals.
It appears an easy route for Bafana to the final, although this Afcon has lived up to the notion that no team provides free passage to the next round.
Following valiant performances against Tunisia and Morocco, Bafana have given hope that they can go all the way to the final.
A team that arrived in Ivory Coast amid criticism for their inconsistency, Bafana have made South Africa believe in them.
With most of the big guns out of the way, this is a huge opportunity to finally win Afcon.
If they fail, they might never go to a tournament where most of the heavyweights are prematurely eliminated.
It is up to Broos and his men to seize this opportunity to be crowned African champions, although it will not be easy.
The tactical discipline they displayed against Namibia, Tunisia and Morocco could be their key to glory.
Pictured above: Bafana Bafana players Veli Mothwa, Zakhele Lepasa, Mothobi Mvala and Evidence Makgopa.
Image source: CAF
