It was a day like no other
Barker waxes lyrical about the moment when Bafana ruled Africa
CLIVE Barker said the pressure on the Bafana Bafana team he coached to the title as hosts of the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations began the year before.
“It came when Joel Stransky got that drop goal in the 1995 Rugby World Cup final. Now Bafana had to win the Afcon,” he said.
Barker takes us through the day of the final against Tunisia at FNB Stadium on Saturday, February 3.
A sombre breakfast
[Sports Minister] Steve Tshwete was doing a Nelson Mandela, having breakfast with me at Sunnyside Park Hotel, making sure we would win. We got a call that crowds at the stadium had pushed barriers down.
Whites, wanting to reciprocate black support for the rugby World Cup, bought a lot of tickets at Computicket, which football supporters in townships didn’t have access to. So fans showed up at the stadium, and the decision was made to open the gates. Of course, the result was a 90 000 crowd instead of the 78 000 capacity.
That set the mood at a sombre breakfast. I don’t think anyone slept. I re- member checking my clock every hour, waiting for the day to arrive. The other issue was the decision to start Shaun Bartlett, who scored in the semifinal against Ghana, and whose pace I thought would trouble Tunisia’s European-type defence. But that meant leaving out Mark Williams.
The bus and the stadium
The singing was very strong until we swung into FNB, and everybody saw how full it was. Then it stopped very quickly. I think everybody realised this was the real thing. It was goose-pimples stuff. You thought to yourself: ‘There’s no place to hide now, let’s win it’.
I didn’t join the guys for the warm-up. I had a quiet moment, going over late changes and what would happen if anybody got injured. I think I was calmest just before kickoff. I said to myself, ‘if it has to be, it’s going to be’.
The first half
I can’t tell you too much about what happened because the pressure was so huge. Afterwards, flying to Cape Town, some religious passengers said: ‘We were pleased you kept looking to the heavens’. I said: ‘I am a Christian, but lukewarm. I was constantly watching the stadium clock’.
No side was on top, though I thought we had a bit more possession. I went to the change room feeling: ‘We will win this’.
The second half
We started more on top. At one stage I thought Lucas Radebe had popped his knee. As I walked past Mark Williams, he practically rugby tackled me. He’d been putting his head round the dugout encouraging the crowd to ask for a change. He galloped on like he was Sea Cottage, was absolutely focused and of course it’s now history— he scored the two most glorious, vital goals in South African football.
The trophy
Mandela, FW de Klerk and King Goodwill Zwelithini came onto the field holding hands. It flashed through my mind: ‘I really think South Africa has arrived now’. I put my medal round Nelson’s neck and said to the other two, ‘I wish I had two more’. Just to have Nelson there, after all he had done for us, was so moving and touching.
I think he thanked me — he didn’t have to say anything more, because that was what I felt for him. Then all I remember is being hoisted in the air. It wasn’t the best performance — that came against Ghana — but I still believe we would have beaten any team in the world that day.
A moment to reflect
We had a function at the hotel. It should have just been the players, but we were just happy to do what everyone wanted. Later I got a moment to think about those [early] years as a coach, having to have a permit to go to certain grounds, having to stay in this hotel, no blacks allowed, no whites allowed. It was a tough road.
The 1996 side was so special. Neil Tovey was such a leader. Shoes Moshoeu and Doctor Khumalo, and the way they played. I can’t say enough about that team.