On this day 3 February 1996 (Exactly 23 years ago) The Bafana Bafana of South Africa beat Tunisia 2-0 in a pulsating final of the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations in front of a full house at FNB Stadium.
Barely four years after being readmitted to international competitions, South Africa hosted and won the Afcon.
The iconic moment of former president Nelson Mandela – clothed in a Bafana Bafana shirt with captain Neil Tovey’s name and number on the back – handing Tovey the trophy will live forever in the minds of millions of South Africans.
Playing its first major tournament since the abolishment of apartheid rule in 1994, Bafana came out guns blazing, winning two games and losing only one to Egypt in the group stages.
They played against Tunisia in the final and striker Mark Williams came from the bench to score 73rd and 75th minute goals, handing South Africa the victory
How The Tournament Was Won
Bafana came into the competition on the back of some good form in the Simba Cup (a draw and two wins) and a morale boosting goalless draw against World Cup 1994 quarter-finalists Germany. And, with their rugby counterparts doing the nation proud [in winning the World Cup in 1995], the pressure was on to deliver in their first African adventure.
And deliver they did, putting to the sword a Cameroon side featuring a young Rigobert Song, beating the west Africans 3-0 in the opening game. Bafana went on to win their second group game against Angola by a solitary goal, but were quickly brought back down to earth, losing 1-0 to Egypt.
Despite the loss, they still qualified top of their group on goal-difference, avoiding rampant Group B winners Zambia. Their quarter-final opponents were Algeria, who they narrowly beat 2-1.
The dangerous Black Stars of Ghana lay next for Clive Barker and his boys but, inspired by John ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu, they thumped the west Africans 3-0 to book their place in the Final.
The rest, as they say, is history as Bafana defeated Tunisia 2-0 thanks to a brace from second half substitute Mark Williams , resulting in the most famous of scenes as Neil Tovey received the trophy from President Nelson Mandela.
1996 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS
GROUP A
Saturday, 13 January 1996
Venue: Soccer City, Johannesburg
South Africa 3 (P Masinga 14 Williams 37 Moshoeu 55)
Cameroon 0
Ref: Said Belqoba (Morocco)
SA: (4-4-2) Andre Arendse – Sizwe Motaung, Mark Fish, Neil Tovey (capt), David Nyathi – Doctor Khumalo, Eric Tinkler, Linda Buthelezi (Helman Mkhalele 58th), John Moshoeu – Mark Williams (Shaun Bartlett 70th), Phil Masinga (August Makalakalane 82nd)
Coach: Clive Barker
Saturday, 20 January 1996
Venue: Soccer City, Johannesburg
South Africa 1 (Williams 57)
Angola. 0
Ref: Ferid Boucetta (Tunisia)
Cautions: P Masinga, Joni
SA: (4-4-2) Andre Arendse – Sizwe Motaung, Mark Fish, Neil Tovey (capt), David Nyathi – Doctor Khumalo (Lucas Radebe 76th), Eric Tinkler, Linda Buthelezi (Helman Mkhalele 71st), John Moshoeu – Mark Williams (Shaun Bartlett 88nd), Phil Masinga
Coach: Clive Barker
Wednesday, 24 January 1996
Venue: Soccer City, Johannesburg
South Africa 0
Egypt. 1 (El Kass 7)
Ref: Lucien Bouchardeau (Niger)
Cautions: Tovey, Mkhalele, Bartlett; Maher
SA: (4-4-2) Andre Arendse – Sizwe Motaung, Mark Fish, Neil Tovey (capt), David Nyathi – August Makalakalane (John Moshoeu 39th), Eric Tinkler, Lucas Radebe (Zane Moosa 76th), Helman Mkhalele – Mark Williams, Phil Masinga (Shaun Bartlett 71st)
Coach: Clive Barker
Quarter-final
Saturday, 27 January 1996
Venue: Soccer City, Johannesburg
South Africa 2 (Fish 72 Moshoeu 85)
Algeria 1 (Lazizi 84)
Ref: Ali Bujsaim (United Arab Emirates)
Cautions: Radebe, P Masinga; Lazizi, El Ouazani, Hamdani
SA: (4-4-2) Andre Arendse – Sizwe Motaung, Mark Fish, Neil Tovey
(capt), Lucas Radebe – Doctor Khumalo (Helman Mkhalele 79th), Eric Tinkler, Linda Buthelezi, John Moshoeu – Mark Williams (Shaun Bartlett 76th), Phil Masinga
Coach: Clive Barker
Semi-final
Wednesday, 31 January 1996
Venue: Soccer City, Johannesburg
South Africa 3 (Moshoeu 22, 87 Bartlett 46)
Ghana 0
Ref: Gamal El Ghandour (Egypt)
Cautions: Tinkler, Khumalo; Johnson
Dismissal: Lamptey 85
SA: (4-4-2) Andre Arendse – Sizwe Motaung, Mark Fish, Neil Tovey
(capt), Lucas Radebe – Doctor Khumalo, Eric Tinkler, Linda Buthelezi (John Moeti 76th), John Moshoeu – Mark Williams, Shaun Bartlett (Daniel Mudau 84th)
Coach: Clive Barker
Final
Saturday, 3 February 1996
Venue: Soccer City, Johannesburg
South Africa 2 (Williams 73, 75)
Tunisia. 0
Ref.: Charles Massembe (Uganda)
Cautions: Buthelezi; Jaballah, Hanini
SA: (4-4-2) Andre Arendse – Sizwe Motaung, Mark Fish, Neil Tovey
(capt), Lucas Radebe – Doctor Khumalo, Eric Tinkler, Linda Buthelezi (Helman Mkhalele 51st), John Moshoeu – Shaun Bartlett, Phil Masinga (Mark Williams 65th)
Coach: Clive Barker
By George “Alan Green” Mahamah