The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) might have been going strong since 1957, but South Africa was a little late to the party. Despite only debuting in 1996, the South African national team quickly emerged as a force to be reckoned with. The team proved their mettle immediately, with their inaugural campaign ending in South Africa walking away with the trophy. Despite a staggeringly strong start, this would be South Africa’s only first-place finish in the Africa Cup of Nations. They’ve put in a mixed bag of appearances since, but have failed to progress beyond the quarter-final stages since their historic first run back in the mid-1990s. However, their most recent appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations seems to have bucked the trend.

South Africa’s Triumphant AFCON Return

That initial victory might have led many fans to think South Africa were a shoe-in for future success. However, the South

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