South Africa finally gives fans some belief

SOWETO, South Africa — Maybe South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams' shot-stopping heroics will reignite South Africa's passion for its men's national soccer team.

Williams saved four Cape Verde penalties in the shootout that followed an uninspiring 0-0 draw after extra time, setting up an Africa Cup of Nations semifinal with mighty Nigeria.

But, how many supporters back home in South Africa will have even seen his game-saving triumph in Yamoussoukro?

South Africa is a nation of sports fans. The exploits of its world champion rugby side, the Springboks, have warmed millions of hearts across racial divides. Cricket is also popular.

Several soccer fans who spoke to AFP praised the inspirational women's team — Banyana Banyana (The Girls).

But Bafana Bafana (The Boys) have failed to capture the nation's hearts.

Attendance at home internationals has fallen into the hundreds, even though fans flock to cheer club sides like the Sundowns and the Pirates.

In a good luck message for the team before Saturday's AFCON quarterfinal clash, President Cyril Ramaphosa admitted he was surprised they'd got so far.

"To reach where they are — when we didn't expect them to get there — is a really wonderful achievement," he said, during a voter registration drive.

A glance at the team's record might explain his earlier pessimism.

South Africa was banned from African soccer during the apartheid era, but made a promising debut after full democracy was established.

In 1996, two years after Nelson Mandela was elected president, South Africa hosted the Africa Cup of Nations and won the title on home soil.

However, this proved to be a zenith for the national side.

In 2010, South Africa became the first, and so far only, country on the continent to host the soccer World Cup, but its team crashed out in the group stage.

Without hope

The squad didn't even qualify for the next three World Cups, nor for the previous AFCON, failing to make it to Cameroon in 2022.

The South African performance in this year's African tournament could be framed as an inspiring comeback story.

But, the competition has failed to set the long-suffering South African fans aflame with passion: few expect much of the team.

By Saturday, Bafana Bafana had reached the quarterfinal, facing off with island nation Cape Verde.

When reporters hit the bars and restaurants of Soweto, a huge former Black township just outside Johannesburg, they found little enthusiasm for the match.

"They haven't convinced a lot of people that they're worth their time," said 27-year-old engineer Collins Ishabalala.

Collins and his mates had taken a table under the screen, bought in some beers and brandy, and were following the action, but much of the restaurant was empty.

Locals couldn't have been watching much at home, either, since the township was blacked out during one of South Africa's notorious rolling power cuts.

Victor Khoza, a 58-year-old carpenter and interior designer, shrugged.

"These guys have brought disappointment," he said. "It's that bad, people are without hope. I might go home to sleep at half-time."

If he did, then he missed Williams' epic penalty-saving performance. Maybe, now, though, the fans will take note.

'Hunger is big'

South Africa's coach, Belgian Hugo Broos, said his team's Africa Cup of Nations campaign must already be considered a success after it reached the last four on Saturday, but the veteran insisted "the hunger is big" to go all the way to the final.

"Let's say that, six hours ago, I was 71, now I am 75. It was a very stressful game — especially the penalties," admitted Broos.

South Africa is now into its first Cup of Nations semifinal since 2000 and will face much-fancied Nigeria on Wednesday.

"Today I saw and felt that my players were really nervous. There was a lot of pressure, because everyone wanted to qualify for the semifinals, and we didn't play like we did in our previous matches," admitted Broos, whose team, against all the odds, beat Morocco 2-0 in the round of 16.

It will again be the underdog against Victor Osimhen's Super Eagles in Bouake, leaving Broos to claim his side "have nothing to lose".

"It is maybe bizarre for me to say that, but for us, our AFCON has already been a success. We are in the semifinals. Nobody thought we would do that when we left South Africa to come here.

"There will be less pressure on us, I am certain of that. That doesn't mean we don't want to play in the final, certainly not."

Broos has revived the fortunes of South Africa, having taken over following their failure to qualify for the last Cup of Nations two years ago.

AFP