SPORT

SPORT

Feature The Super Eagles RECLAIM THEIR GLORY The curtain came down on the Orange Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) at the National Stadium in Johannesburg when Nigeria and Burkina Faso duelled to decide the champion team of Africa, writes Adolf Netshiukhwi.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter, President Jacob Zuma and CAF president Issa Hayatou handing the cup to Nigerian captain Joseph Yobo as winners of AFCON 2013. Image By Courtesy of GCIS

What will remain in the memory of many soccer fanatics, on the continent, is the drama of the knockout games that unfolded: the goals, the saves, the misses and, sadly, the controversial and unfortunate refereeing decisions. That is where the human narrative of heroes and villains is written, and on that score, South Africa Afcon 2013 will probably fare pretty well.

After 94 minutes of action, the Super Eagles had secured their third Afcon title by a 1-0 margin. The sound of Vuvuzelas filled the air at the national stadium, excitement built and South African President, Jacob Zuma, and FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, were among soccer fans to wish the two teams well as a packed crowd of 85 000 took in the title-decider. For Nigeria, it was the first final since 2000. For Burkina Faso, it was uncharted territory.

Not only were there supporters of the finalists in the stadium, but also plenty of football fans in the colours of the host nation’s national football team, Bafana Bafana.

It started slowly - most tournaments do - but sparked into life at the end of the group stage.

South Africa found two late equalisers against Morocco and Cape Verde, and turned their game against Angola around with two goals in the final 10 minutes. Burkina Faso held out for a valiant, goalless draw against a luckless Zambia and Togo overcame incomprehensibly bad refereeing from South African Daniel Bennett to earn the draw against Tunisia that took them through.

As it turned out, worse was to come from the officials. Togo’s progress ensured that no North African teams made the last eight for the first time since 1992. South Africa’s quarter-final exit to Mali, after playing with great rigour and determination, snatching an equaliser after being outplayed for long periods and then losing on penalties, was thrilling enough, but it’s the meeting of the heavyweights in Rustenburg that will be recalled by historians.

Mali progressed to the semi-finals of the 2013 Afcon after walloping Bafana Bafana 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out at Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban. It was not the first time South Africa had