Though South Africa fell just short of the AFCON championship match with their Semi-Final loss to Nigeria, Bafana Bafana defender Siyanda Xulu expressed pride on Friday in his squad’s memorable tournament performance.
South africa failed another bid to grab their second AFCON gold, but the SuperSport United Centre-back says their exploit in Ivory coast is admirable.
“We had a clear objective as a team. We aimed to go as far as possible,” Xulu stated confidently in a press conference ahead of South Africa’s third place contest versus DR Congo.
Entering the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, coach Hugo Broos and his players seemed determined to make noise. They finished group stage play with a 4-point haul on wins over Namibia and Tunisia. A date with Morocco ended in a convincing 2-nil victory in the round of 16, building momentum towards the semis.
But Xulu has hailed their stunner at the 34th AFCON Tournament, which comes to an end on Sunday February 11.
“Reaching the semifinals is a dream come true,” Xulu later remarked, reflecting on their PK defeat to Nigeria that halted their exhilarating run.
Nonetheless, Bafana Bafana’s best result in over two decades is not lost on the stalwart defender.
“We may not have brought the trophy home, but we can hold our heads high.”
Xulu credited Broos for keeping belief in the face of pre-tournament skepticism. Now he and his inspired teammates aim to conclude their AFCON campaign by winning one last match this Saturday.
For Xulu, the 2023 performance proved South Africa’s potential on continent’s biggest stage. Though gold eluded their grasp, their restored pride stands as a foundation for future success.
