Pulse of a Nation: A time to remember

The transition of South African football from a deadly split in the professional ranks to a fully-fledged member of the world game was brilliantly depicted in the second episode of SuperSport’s “Pulse of a Nation”, which aired for the first time on Sunday and can be watched again on DStv Stream.

Few countries have had as turbulent a history as South Africa and this permeated down to the footballing structures, which underwent a revolution of sort in 1985 with the mass defection of clubs from one league to another.

It created the forerunner to what is known today as the Premier Soccer League and laid the groundwork for a more vibrant professional era when the game commanded captaincy crowds and made superstars of its players.

But it was not without a cost as soccer officials were murdered in the aftermath of the split that saw all 18 top flight clubs move en masse away from the National Professional Soccer League to form the National Soccer League in early 1985.

The violence that marked the change is vividly told in “Pulse of a Nation”, explaining dramatically the ramifications of the split.

But while blood was spilt, a time when violence was endemic to the country’s black township, the change in structure heralded a new era of commercialisation and economic opportunity.

The game, then still played in isolation from the rest of the world because of the country’s apartheid system, was able to flex its muscle in a positive way and establish itself as a powerful force.

It also meant South Africa was ready to take on the new challenges presented in the early 1990s when apartheid was buried and the country’s sport no longer a pariah.

South Africa became a member of world football’s governing body, Fifa, in mid-1992 and was able to play field a national team for the first time as well as participate in all competitions, including at club and junior level.

It opened new vistas although there were some early learnings as the first coach Stanley ‘Screamer’ Tshabalala explained in the episode, recalling how the team were termed ‘4x4s’ after conceding four goals in successive matches.

The original of the nickname Bafana Bafana is also explained before the episode turned its focus onto three of the most iconic moments in the history of the South African game.

First came the success in late 1995 of Orlando Pirates in the African Champions Cup with Jerry Sikhosana the unlikely hero of a snatch and grab victory in the Ivory Coast over heavily-fancied ASEC Abidjan. He tells of not wanting to travel to west Africa for the second leg of the final because of the abuse he received following a dismal first leg performance.

Then there is heartwarming footage of the pair of goals that Mark ‘Nation Builder’ Williams scored to deliver the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations title, plus the grsaspinglong range shot from Phil Masinga that ensured qualification for the 1998 World Cup.

They were all significant firsts and remain, decades later, moments to treasure.

WHAT IS NEXT THIS SUNDAY …

EPISODE THREE: As democracy and optimism sweep the country, football takes a step into the modern era with the arrival of a new league. With a much-touted equal playing field, and a new structure, the PSL would see Cinderella stories like those of Manning Rangers emerge. But the game still had much to learn about protecting the lives of its people, as events at an Ellis Park derby prove in 2001. The leaders of football would have to come together to prevent tragedy from recurring and ensuring the game of the people remains safe for its fans.