Afcon 2023: SAFA boss Jordaan reflects on South Africa’s Nations Cup run

The president of the South Africa Football Association, Danny Jordaan has reflected on the run his country had at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, while speaking exclusively with Omasports in Ivory Coast.

Jordaan spoke about the Bafana Bafana with a sense of pride and delight despite their semifinal exit at the hands of Nigeria, but hopes the team can put up one more solid performance to finish third when they face DR Congo in the third-place match on Saturday.

South Africa began their 2023 Nations Cup campaign with a 2-0 loss to Mali but regrouped quite impressively to reach the semifinal – a run that included a sound victory over 2022 World Cup semifinalists Morocco and a “miracle” against Cape Verde, in which their goalkeeper saved four of five penalties in a stunning shootout.

Jordaan likened South Africa’s start to Argentina at the last World Cup – where the South Americans lost their opening game to Saudi Arabia but recovered to ultimately emerge champions. He had hoped that the Bafana Bafana would replicate same title-run.

“We always believed that we were going to be in the final and that we will have a chance to win it,” Jordaan began. “We didn’t start well but so did Argentina. We lost against Mali and came back. When we defeated Morocco, it was the first shock for people.

“We went on – it was a miracle against Cape Verde. Miracle by our goalkeeper. He did something that no keeper has done in world football – to save four of the five penalties in the shootout. And then in the semifinals, now against three-time champions Nigeria.”

Nigeria, bidding for a fourth Afcon title, edged South Africa in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw. Jordaan said the loss had an impact on his “happy” side.

“In the end, it was unfortunate but we are happy with our team. Our team has performed well. They are united and are a happy bunch. But after the Nigeria game, they all just slumped, no singing, nothing. I realized then that they put their heart in it, they put everything in and it was sad to see that.”

“Easier” to have home-based players

But South Africa’s run was quite special given the mix of players in their squad. The Bafana Bafana are made up of primarily home-based players unlike other teams who have players strutting their stuff in some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Before the start of the tournament, supporters weighed in on teams’ selection, particularly for squads filled with foreign-based players – like Nigeria, and argued for and against the exclusion of home-based players.

Joordan also weighed in but while he squarely moves for quality he says “it is easier” to have home-based players.

“In the end, you must pick the best players for that position whether they are overseas or home-based. But it’s easier when you have home-based players because you see them every week. You see them play together, you see them struggle,” he explained.

“But the oversea players you only see them when they are in the camp. There’s an advantage for both sides though. For local players, there is intense monitoring and a clear understanding of their mental and physical abilities, which you don’t have when they are foreign-based.”

“We’re happy with Broos”

Joordan expressed satisfaction with the work coach Hugo Broos, who won the Afcon with Cameroon in 2017, has done with South Africa.

“I am happy with the coach. I saw what he did in Cameroon. He picked inexperienced players, took them to the AFCON and won it.

“So many of our players believed we were going to win the Afcon because we had confidence in him. In the technical assessment that they have done, the players absolutely believe in the coach and it is not always that you have a coach that has the confidence of each and every player.

“So we are happy with him.”