Class of 96 not celebrated enough – Tinkler  

Former Orlando Pirates and Maritzburg United coach Eric Tinkler says the squad that won the only Africa Cup of Nations trophy for South Africa is not celebrated enough.

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3 February, marked exactly 25 years since coach Clive Barker and his team won the 1996 Afcon, however, some members of the squad feel the country hasn’t done enough to celebrate the players or reclaim the glory of their place in the continental tournament.

Tinkler claims there has never been a reunion of the squad that won the tournament in 1996 on home soil.

The former SuperSport United coach says what is more troubling him is that Bafana Bafana are failing to live up to what they achieved in 1996.

“In February everyone seems to remind us of what we achieved but realistically life continues and we start thinking of other things and not what we achieved back in 1996,” Tinkler told SAFM.

“We remember it with a sense of pride but life goes on. It is very sad, none of us thought it would take South Africa a long as it has to recapture the Afcon. And 25 years is a very long time, and you thought after 10 years you would have commemorated it and after 20 but you have gone 25 years and you have never brought the squad together not on a single occasion which is sad,” said Tinkler.

Tinkler added that the class of 96 set a standard and questions need to be asked on why no team has come close to achieving what Clive Barker’s charges did.

“We should have been celebrated for what we achieved you look back at it now it is an achievement. We should be asking the questions why haven’t we achieved anything since.”

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