South Africa’s performance at the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Burkina Faso was a memorable and historic one, though ultimately disappointing for the defending champions.

The tournament, held from 7 to 28 February 1998, saw Bafana Bafana return to the continental stage as the reigning continental kings, having won the AFCON on home soil two years prior.

Expectations were high, as many believed that the team would continue their dominant form – which included a successful qualification for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France – and defend their title.

However, there was some turbulence in the weeks leading into the tournament, with long-serving coach Clive Barker having resigned in late 1997, to be replaced by South African football icon Jomo Sono.

Placed in Group C alongside Ivory Coast, Angola and Namibia, Bafana Bafana opened their campaign in Bobo-Dioulasso with a 0-0 stalemate against the Palancas Negras.

Three days later they drew 1-1 with the Elephants, conceding a late equaliser to Ahmed Ouattara after Helman Mkhalele’s early penalty had put them in control of the match and seemingly on course for a key victory.

Needing an emphatic win over the Brave Warriors in their final Group C match to secure progression, Sono gambled on a start for up-and-coming striker Benni McCarthy. He was rewarded with a four-goal blitz from the 20-year-old, who struck in the eighth, 11th, 19th and 21st minutes to end the game as a contest inside the opening half hour.

McCarthy’s performance gave him the distinction of scoring the first hat-trick for South Africa post isolation, as well as the record for the fastest hat-trick in AFCON history.

A 4-1 win over Namibia saw South Africa join Ivory Coast in progressing into the quarterfinals, and Bafana were then able to defeat Morocco 2-1 in Ouagadougou, with McCarthy again on the score sheet, while David Nyathi struck a late winner.

McCarthy continued his brilliance in the semifinals, scoring twice in a 2-1 win over DR Congo – which came after extra time, and included a ‘Golden Goal’ (a goal which immediately ends the match in extra time in favour of the team which scored).

McCarthy’s tally stopped at seven goals, unfortunately, as he and Bafana were shut down by a disciplined and tactically-astute Egypt side in the final at Stade du 4 Aout on 28 February 1998. The Pharaohs triumphed 2-0 to win the AFCON for a fourth time.

Nonetheless, Bafana’s showing – and the emergence of McCarthy, who was co-leading scorer alongside Egyptian legend Hossam Hassan – demonstrated that South Africa were firmly established as a football powerhouse on the continent, and that their 1996 AFCON triumph had been no fluke.