Bafana Bafana players are hoping their impressive run in the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast will convince the South African public to start supporting them from now on.
Bafana were eliminated by Nigeria in the semifinal on Wednesday after losing 4-2 in a dramatic penalty shootout after the match finished 1-1 in extra-time.
With one match left against DR Congo tomorrow (10pm) at Stade Felix, where a winner will finish third, Siyanda Xulu, Sphephelo Sithole and Ronwen Williams expressed their pride with what they achieved, although they wanted to go all the way to the final.
“We wanted to go as far as we could in the tournament. Our main goal was to make sure we go out from the group stages and qualify for the knockout stages, which is something that made us really proud as a team,” Xulu told the Safa media department.
“It was just a dream for us to make it through to the quarterfinal and go to the next round. We are really proud and we are very much aware that we still have a game to play. We still have the third position to achieve. We are all happy and we are proud as much as we wanted to go through to the final.”
Sithole said the plan is to build from their performances at this tournament. “I think we did well as a team. We deserve more, especially yesterday [Wednesday], from what we have shown. I think we need to take it from there and probably in the future, we will give the country what it deserves,” Sithole said.
“We have brought back the love of football in our country. From now on, we have to take it upwards and build on this. I think we have shown that we are capable of beating anyone in this tournament.”
Williams echoed Sithole’s sentiments and said it is up to South Africans to get behind the team, especially when they play at home.
“We felt the support on social media platforms. It has been going crazy in the last few weeks, and we have seen each and every message of support, of encouragement... and this is what I have been crying for in the last year or so,” Williams said.
“It’s for the public to get behind the team, but in saying that, it’s all about results. We got the results now, hopefully, this can be a relationship that we can build together as a country and we need each and everyone. We need them to fill the stadiums, the words of encouragement.”
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Image: SIPHIWE SIBEKO
Bafana Bafana players are hoping their impressive run in the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast will convince the South African public to start supporting them from now on.
Bafana were eliminated by Nigeria in the semifinal on Wednesday after losing 4-2 in a dramatic penalty shootout after the match finished 1-1 in extra-time.
With one match left against DR Congo tomorrow (10pm) at Stade Felix, where a winner will finish third, Siyanda Xulu, Sphephelo Sithole and Ronwen Williams expressed their pride with what they achieved, although they wanted to go all the way to the final.
“We wanted to go as far as we could in the tournament. Our main goal was to make sure we go out from the group stages and qualify for the knockout stages, which is something that made us really proud as a team,” Xulu told the Safa media department.
“It was just a dream for us to make it through to the quarterfinal and go to the next round. We are really proud and we are very much aware that we still have a game to play. We still have the third position to achieve. We are all happy and we are proud as much as we wanted to go through to the final.”
Sithole said the plan is to build from their performances at this tournament. “I think we did well as a team. We deserve more, especially yesterday [Wednesday], from what we have shown. I think we need to take it from there and probably in the future, we will give the country what it deserves,” Sithole said.
“We have brought back the love of football in our country. From now on, we have to take it upwards and build on this. I think we have shown that we are capable of beating anyone in this tournament.”
Williams echoed Sithole’s sentiments and said it is up to South Africans to get behind the team, especially when they play at home.
“We felt the support on social media platforms. It has been going crazy in the last few weeks, and we have seen each and every message of support, of encouragement... and this is what I have been crying for in the last year or so,” Williams said.
“It’s for the public to get behind the team, but in saying that, it’s all about results. We got the results now, hopefully, this can be a relationship that we can build together as a country and we need each and everyone. We need them to fill the stadiums, the words of encouragement.”
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