Written off by many before the tournament began, Hugo Broos' side not only advanced from a challenging group but powered their way to the semi-finals before ultimately sealing an impressive third-place finish.

While defeat to Nigeria in the last four was disappointing, the bigger story for Bafana fans was one of resilience, revival and a team rediscovering its competitive edge on the continental stage.

Here, SABC Sport looks back at some of the standout moments from South Africa's inspiring 2023 AFCON run.

Thrashing Namibia

While beating Namibia would not usually be something to celebrate but rather something that is expected of a team like Bafana Bafana, the situation was slightly different at AFCON.

South Africa were coming off a defeat to Mali while Namibia had made history by beating much-favoured Tunisia. Upsets were coming thick and fast at the tournament and, all of a sudden, most people weren't so convinced about Bafana Bafana's chances.

However, they quickly put those concerns to bed by putting their northern neighbours to the sword and scoring four goals in a rout that stands as one of the biggest wins in the 2023 tournament.

In the circumstances, it was an epic display by The Boys.

Themba Zwane's midfield performances

This isn't based on a single moment but Themba Zwane's performances in midfield for Bafana Bafana at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations were second to none.

So much of what South Africa were able do at the tournament stemmed from their control of the middle of the park and that came as a direct result of the influence of Zwane.

He was exceptional throughout the tournament and he will certainly be missed in Morocco this time around.

Holding out against Tunisia

Walking onto the pitch against Tunisia, Bafana Bafana might have been excused for being among the many who felt this should be an easy game for them. Tunisia had lost to Namibia earlier in the group stages, a team South Africa had soundly beaten.

However, as was the theme throughout the tournament, things did not turn out how anyone expected. The Carthage Eagles were the better team for most of the game and put South Africa under immense pressure.

The defence did a phenomenal job keeping Tunisia at bay and proved that Bafana Bafana could compete at both ends of the pitch after a worrying performance against Mali earlier in the tournament.

Ronwen Williams' penalty heroics

No conversation about the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations is complete without placing South Africa's captain and goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams, at the centre of the story.

Williams was already a standout throughout the tournament but produced a performance for the ages in the quarter-final against Cape Verde. In a tense, physical 0-0 draw that went to penalties, Williams saved four of Cape Verde's five spot-kicks - a first in AFCON history - to single-handedly send Bafana Bafana into the semi-finals.

Two days later, in the third-place play-off against DR Congo, another gruelling match ended goalless after 120 minutes. Once again it went to penalties, and once again Williams stepped up. With the shootout locked at 5-5, he dived low to his left to deny Meshack Elia's effort, sparking wild celebrations as South Africa won 6-5 and claimed the bronze medal - their first AFCON medal in 24 years.

As Hugo Broos said after the Cape Verde shootout, and again after the third-place match: "We were not lucky because we had a very good keeper. If you can save four penalties, this is not luck anymore. You can save one, but four... this is not luck."

By the end of the tournament, Williams had saved six penalties across two shootouts and conceded just one goal from open play in seven matches - a remarkable display that earned him both CAF's Goalkeeper of the Year and Interclub Player of the Year awards at the 2024 CAF Awards.

Bringing fans back to Bafana Bafana

The most important thing South Africa did at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations was to get the country's football fans excited about the national team again.

After years out of the spotlight, Bafana Bafana's 2023 AFCON heroics marked a welcome return to prominence - and their subsequent qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup showed that third-place finish was no one-off.

The team's spirited performances, guided by coach Hugo Broos and a blend of emerging talent and experienced campaigners, reignited national pride and reminded fans of what South African football can achieve on the continental stage.

With the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations just around the corner, expectations are high for Bafana Bafana to build on that momentum, make another deep run, and potentially lift the trophy for the first time in decades.

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