Mkhalele shares 2000 semi-final heartbreak lessons ahead of Nigeria rematch
As the AFCON trophy gleams under the harsh Ivory Coast sun, it is a cruel reminder of both past glory and heartache for Helman Mkhalele.
Mkhalele, etched with the memories of countless battles, now stands on the touchline serving as an assistant coach for Bafana Bafana, with the weight of history heavy on his shoulders.
As his gaze drifts towards the Nigerian players on Wednesday evening, their movements will likely echo the ghosts of his own past, a past stained with the bitter taste of defeat. Exactly 24 years ago – 10 February 2000, to be precise – the Super Eagles ruthlessly thwarted Bafana Bafana’s quest for a second African title.
On 7 February 2024, South Africa will face the West African nation, still searching for that elusive second title. This time the venue is Bouaké, the second-largest city in Ivory Coast.
For the ‘Midnight Express’, as Mkhalele is affectionately known, memories of that semi-final hosted in Nigeria still flood his mind. That match was off to a heart-stopping start as Nigeria’s Tijani Babangida found the net within a mere 40 seconds.
The ball swiftly found Babangida waiting on the left flank. With a deceptive burst of speed, he sliced inwards, unleashed a powerful right-footed shot from the edge of the box, and sent the ball screaming into the bottom right corner of Andre Arendse‘s net.
The crowd erupted in a frenzy, leaving South Africa stunned by the early Nigerian onslaught. This sensational goal set the tone for a thrilling encounter, leaving everyone eager to see how the rest of the match would unfold.
WHAT LOSING TO NIGERIA MEANT TO HELMAN MKHALELE
As they went on to lose that match 2-0, it meant many things to Mkhalele, who was playing his third AFCON.
“For me, I felt so bad. I felt I was regressing,” he muttered, the words laced with a pain that time couldn’t erase. The golden touch of 1996 and the silver lining of 1998 all faded into a bronze blur. But losing to Nigeria was a different kind of wound. A gaping hole in the narrative, a betrayal of expectations.
“In 1996, we won the gold medal; in 1998, we won silver, and in 2000, it was bronze. It was more like taking a step back, so I felt bad,” he tells traveling South African media.
Going into that match, the fear was palpable, an acrid undercurrent coursing through the veins of the South African team. Nigeria was an indomitable force, the very embodiment of African footballing prowess. Yet, they stepped onto the pitch, hearts ablaze with hope, only to have their dreams shattered by the cruel hand of fate.
Therein lies the lesson for the class of 2023. “Mistakes,” he whispered, the word a shard of glass in his mouth. Each error, he says, was exploited with ruthless precision by the Nigerian juggernaut. Chasing a two-goal deficit against such a titan felt like chasing shadows, an exercise in futility.
‘YOU DON’T MAKE MISTAKES AGAINST A TOP TEAM’
“For us going into the Nigeria semi-final, knowing that Nigeria is the superpower of African football,” he explains.
“We had that fear, but we wanted to make sure we did well. When we got to the pitch, we made some mistakes that cost us dearly, and playing against the top team or top players in Africa and even the world, I think that sealed our fate. You don’t make mistakes against top players. You get punished, and all of a sudden, it was 2-0 to chase that game was very hard.”
Mkhalele will echo that ‘mistakes’ message to Bafana’s defence, which has kept four clean sheets in the tournament. Perhaps the other tip he will share is that Bafana should avoid conceding early like they did at the turn of the millennium.
The final whistle, a mournful trumpet, signalled the end. Mkhalele, his playing days a fading memory, felt the sting of defeat resonate within him, a shared experience that transcended time and roles.
But amidst the shadows, a flicker of defiance. The fire that once fuelled him as a player now burns within him as a coach. The lessons learned in that crucible of defeat and the echoes of Nigeria’s dominance wouldn’t be in vain. He would instil that steel in the current team, a steely resolve forged in the furnace of past battles.
“Being involved with the current squad after I had appeared in three AFCONs, I shared my experiences with individuals or sometimes with the team. But I do not use that to emphasise my experiences because this is a different generation in a different set-up. If I do that, keep emphasising what happened in 1996, what happened in 1998 leading to 2000, that might bring pressure on the players,” the 54-year says.
For the AFCON was a circle, its journey never truly ending. And as Mkhalele watches the current Bafana players prepare for their next clash, he knows that the ghosts of the past would rise again, not as forewarnings of fear but as fuel for their fire.
The Nigeria of 2023 might be different, but the hunger for victory and the echoes of that 2000 defeat would remain etched in the hearts of a team determined to rewrite its own narrative.
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