Ivory Coast football icon Yaya Toure said that the South African national team Bafana Bafana is one of the favorites for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations match. Toure also named Senegal, Morocco and Guinea-Bissau as strong contenders for the title. Interestingly, with the exception of Guinea-Bissau, all of these countries have won at least one Africa Cup of Nations match. Bafana Bafana won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations, marking their debut in continental competitions. In their first three Africa Cup of Nations competitions, they finished first, second and third.
However, they were inconsistent in the games that followed. In 2013, they reached the quarterfinals of the tournament they hosted. Unfortunately, they failed to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. South African football fans reacted differently to Toure's comments. Some Twitter users are optimistic about the team's chances, while others are skeptical.
The general consensus seems to be that South Africa must perform at their best to compete with the strong teams in the competition, including Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, Algeria and Cameroon. Former Mamerodi Sandans coach Pieso Mosimane also gave his opinion on Bafana's chances in the Africa Cup of Nations. Mosimane, who has recently lost his job, believes that South Africa are in a very difficult group but have the potential to qualify. He previously spent six years as an assistant coach and head coach in the organization of Bafana Bafana. With the Africa Cup of Nations fast approaching, all eyes will be on Bafana Bafana to see if they can live up to expectations and make a mark in the competition.