Baxter was right

Even the most cynical of South African sports fans – and cynicism is the area where we really are world-beaters – would have felt a glow of pride and hope after a wonderful sporting weekend.

The Proteas took the fight to the Australians as they should have done to everyone right from the start of the Cricket World Cup.

Sadly, they proved what many believed: when nothing is at stake, they play out of their skins. But the biggest applause must go to Bafana Bafana, who have had legions of doubters in this Africa Cup of Nations campaign, but who proved them wrong in the most dramatic way possible on Saturday by beating football giants Egypt in Cairo.

Bafana coach Stuart Baxter was proved right in telling people his team was capable of pulling off an upset.

Thembinkosi Lorch netted the Bafana winner in his debut match for the national team, making one hope that new, talented blood is finally finding its way into the Bafana squad.

More than that, the victory will have given the team – and the nation – hope that we can be as great as we were in 1996 when Nelson Mandela presented Neil Tovey with the Afcon trophy.

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