DOCTOR KHUMALO

After the referee awarded the penalty, the ball just stood there in the penalty area, and nobody stepped forward to take it. We all just looked at each other, I think we all chickened out. The captain [Tovey] walked up to me and said, ‘come on, I know you can do it’, and I was not about to turn him down. “He had the confidence to ask me over all the other players and I was not going to say no to him, even though I didn’t want the responsibility. As I placed the ball, I was so scared, but the fans were cheering – I think they had faith in me too. “I don’t really remember thinking anything as I prepared to take it, like which way I should go, or to go for placement or power. I probably did think about those things, but maybe in the tension I have forgotten. “When the ball hit the back of the net the stadium went wild, and I celebrated more out relief than anything else. Even after the game, it was just another penalty scored and I was relieved that I had not missed! “But then the next day or the day afterwards someone said to me, ‘man, what does it feel like to make history?’ and it was only then that I really thought about it and the significance of that goal to South Africa and to me.