When Hugo Broos took over from Molefi Ntseki as the national team coach in May 2021, Bafana Bafana were in tatters and lost for hope after failing to qualify for the AFCON finals hosted by Cameroon.
It was a case of Bafana not being able to get into a tournament that caters for more than half of the CAF member associations.
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Imagine Bafana not being at a 24 team CAF tournament.
Utterly awful and embarrassing.
So, what it meant was that Broos' first step was to get Bafana back qualifying for the AFCON and he declared that he would make this happen though attempts of 'bridging' the process by first qualifying for the World Cup failed.
The Belgian's first attempt of qualification to the AFCON was a smooth ride.
Box ticked.
Then when the AFCON finals draw was done, Bafana didn't have it easy finding themselves grouped with Tunisia, Mali, and Namibia.
Bafana came out alive from the group and then went on to get past the hurdle of top ranked Morocco in the last 16 before overcoming Cape Verde in the quarterfinals via penalties.
For the first time in eight attempts, Bafana are through to the semi-finals and just a step away from meeting either DR Congo or Cote d'Ivoire in the final on Sunday.
Whatever happens against Nigeria on Wednesday, Broos has restored Bafana's dignity and pride and deserves the credit for that.
The benefit is that Bafana will take further steps up the FIFA rankings improving from the 75th place that Broos found them when he took over.
If Bafana go on to lift the trophy on Sunday, then this might count as even bigger than the success of 1996 considering that it will have been done away from the comforts of home.
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Broos has won more than half of the games of his reign with his five defeats coming against Ghana, France, Morocco, Rwanda, and Mali.
The 71-year-old has suffered only one defeat at the AFCON finals in 11 games in charge of Cameroon – who he led to success in 2017 – and South Africa.
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