By Samuel Gacharira,

“People of South Africa please tell me this is not true. I can’t believe this now after talking to him this afternoon but why?” tweeted K.V. Oostende midfielder Andile Jali. Bafana Bafana number 1 Senzo Meyiwa was no more after succumbing to gun shots during a burglary at his girlfriend’s house.

After registering four clean sheets in as many qualifying games, he was on course to captain his nation at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations finals but that was not to be.Ephraim Shakes Mashaba has since handed the armband to Doncaster Rovers anchorman Dean Furman who will lead his charges as they make their 9th appearance at a CAN final.

An unlucky 3-1 quarterfinal loss to Mali via penalty shootouts in the previous edition in 2013 was the first time South Africa made it to the knock out stages since 2002.Well aware that anything less than a semifinal berth will be accepted back at home both by SouthAfrica Football Association (SAFA) and fans, Shakes is aiming to end the 18 year wait and deliver the Africa Cup of Nations title. Confidence is at an all-time high after finishing top of Group A with 12 points in the qualifiers.

Having extended their unbeaten run from the qualifiers to the warm up games with a 1-0 win over Zambia and a 1-1 draw against Cameroon, Mashaba’s charges have been tipped as favorites in this year’s tournament. However, they will have to dig deep to go past Group C, which is arguably the group of death, consisting of Ghana, Senegal and Algeria.

Bournemouth striker Tokelo Rantie and mercurial Sibusiso Vilakazi will be tasked with the goal getting duties while Darren Keet is expected to man the posts in the absence of  the injured regular Itumeleng Khune. Eric Mathoho and teenage sensation Rivaldo Coetzee will provide defensive cover as Jali and Furman offer the creative spark in midfield.

Facts about South Africa

1. Table Mountain in Cape Town is believed to be one of the oldest mountains in the world.

2. South Africa is the second largest exporter of fruit in the world.

3. The very first heart transplant was done in South Africa in 1967

4. South Africa is the only country in the world to have hosted the soccer, cricket and rugby World Cup.

5. The only street in the world to house two Nobel Peace prize winners (Nelson Mandela &Archbishop Desmond Tutu) is Vilakazi Street in Soweto.

6. South Africa became the first country in Africa to host the FIFA World Cup in 2010.

7. Although Pretoria is considered to be the capital of South Africa, the country actually has threecapitals namely Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative) and Bloemfontein (judicial)

8. South Africa is the world’s largest producer of macadamia nuts.

Collins Okinyo

Ex- CAF Media Expert. An expert on African football with over 15 years experience ,always with an ear to the ground with indepth knowledge of the game. I have worked for top publications including 7 years at www.supersport.com until i founded www.soka25east.com to quench the thirst of football lovers across the continent. I have trained young upcoming journalists who are now a voice in African football.I have covered World Cup,AFCON,CHAN,Champions League,Confederations Cup,Cecafa,Cosafa,Wafu and many other football tournaments across the World. Founder Football Africa Arena(FAA),Founder www.afrisportdigital.com