CAF Africa Cup of Nation South Africa Prediction: Can Mzansi emulate the heroics of 1996?

It has been 28 years since South Africa were champions of Africa. Since than Bafana Bafana has had some impressive squads boasting world class talent like Benni McCarthy who to this day is the only South African footballer to have lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy as a player. Despite having been the CAF Africa Cup of Nations top goal scorer in 98, he retired without an Africa Cup of Nations title.  This generation of Bafana Bafana will look to go one further than that class of 98 and return with the Title. just like the class of 96

 Ahead of this year’s installment, below are the odds-on South Africa winning this converted trophy… 

Outright Winner – South Africa 40/1 

Bafana Bafana come into this tournament on the back of loss to Rwanda in the CAF World Cup Qualifiers. They’re opening match is against FIFA Ranked 51 Mali who sit above Bafana Bafana on who themselves are ranked 66. There is a lot of pressure on this team to impress. They have a solid core that has been transplanted from South Africa’s power house Mamelodi Sundowns. So many South African soccer fans will be counting on this core of players to carry Bafana all the way.

Coach Hugo Broos has done it once before in the 16/17 season, when he won it with Cameroon. Appointed on the 5th of May 2021, this will be his first CAF Africa Cup of Nations adventure with Bafana Bafana. He has overseen 23 matches since his appointment. 12 of which have been wins, 7 have been draws and 4 have been losses.

If Bafana Bafana are going to emulate the class of 1996, the odds on them doing so are set 40/1. 

Group E – Winner South Africa 53/10  

Bafana Bafana have struggled to make it out of the group stages of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations on various occasions. In 2019 Bafana qualified for the quarter finals after finishing third in their group behind Morocco, and the Ivory Coast. 2015 they finished rock bottom only registering a single point with a draw against Senegal. The last time Bafana Bafana managed to finish top of a CAF Africa Cup of Nations group was in 2013 when they finished ahead of Cape Verde, Morocco and Angola.

In this year’s edition of this converted competition, they will have to finish ahead of Namibia who have the services formidable goal scorer Peter Shalulile, Mali and Tunisia. The odds on Bafana Bafana winning group are set at 53/10.  

To Qualify from Group E South Africa – Yes 2/5 

 South Africa can still qualify for the next round of this competition without winning the group. The odds on that are set at 2/5. If you like me and think that there will be a few shocking results that may throw South Africa into a desperate situation. This market would be the most appealing of the outright markets. 

Squad

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Defenders

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Forwards