Shaun Bartlett “The South African players should stick together as a squad all the way at the Nations Cup”

Bafana Bafana is preparing for their first game at the Nations Cup against Cape Verde and the fans unite behind the team.

Former striker of the South African national team and current assistant coach at Golden Arrows Shaun Bartlett is an ardent supporter of the side who claims that players should realize that “as much as they feel high pressure, the whole country is behind them.” Bartlett was a part of the squad that won the title in 1996 and hopes this generation will repeat the triumph.

The tactician says that every game for the national team is difficult, yet points out the players should see a clear aim and believe in themselves. “Qualifying from the group is the first step and the players should stick together as a squad all the way” states Bartlett.

The South African underlines that the beginning of the tournament is the most significant moment, as “when you only start the tournament there is a lot of hype and everybody is very excited about the first match and I guess it takes a lot out of the players. Yet remembering the 1996 success he states that “it was after the first fixture that we actually understood that we could go much further in the Cup than expected”.