Fish: We Will Praise This Bafana For A Long Time

Fish believes the current team, highlighted by a mix of youth and experience, rekindled what it means to pull on the jersey of the country and will be hailed for years to come.

"The boys brought back the spirit and showed everybody what it means to play for the country again and vice-versa, they look like they have a fantastic team spirit and we are going to praise them for a long time," Fish told Sports Night Amplified with Andile.

"The important thing now is to build on this and the important thing now is starting again and go for the challenge to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, so it was fantastic individual performances," he continued.

Fish then went on to praise SA coach Hugo Broos for his vision and attention to detail to achieve his objectives.

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"I also think it was more of a team performance, I think Hugo Broos over the last two years has been allowed to build his own team and got rid of one or two players he didn't want in the squad.

"He has got his own squad and they understand what he wants from them. I was very fortunate to be in the stadium when they beat Morocco who were at that time probably the favourites to lift the trophy and it was a fantastic performance," Fish noted.

"So, they know what they need to do, I think the players now realise the experience of playing in an Afcon and being successful. When I say being successful, getting bronze is a fantastic achievement.

"I'm sure they would've wanted gold or silver but they have something to build on and they made us proud to be South African football followers again," added the 1996 Afcon champion. 

Bafana's performances have also inspired sports lovers around the country to show a greater interest in football and the national team.