They might not be the Springboks or Real Madrid on the 'mentality monsters' scale, but Bafana Bafana have regained their resilience.

The current generation of Bafana Bafana players lags behind the teams that represented the country at various major tournaments soon after systematic racial discrimination was disbanded as a governing system in South Africa.

However, of all the Bafana Bafana squads that have been assembled since the team's golden years - in terms of mentality - the current crop of players in the South African senior men's side is not trailing too far behind the 1996 African champions.

In 1996, four years after apartheid was abolished, Bafana Bafana clinched the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) as tournament hosts. Two years later they finished second after being defeated by Egypt.

Then, during the 2000 edition, co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, they clinched bronze ahead of Tunisia. It was a perfect return to international soccer for South Africa after their apartheid-enforced exile.

While it was making these strides in continental soccer, the team - which boasted the likes of Lucas Radebe, Neil Tovey and a young Benni McCarthy - was also ensuring that the international sphere was conscious of its return from the wilderness. Bafana Bafana qualified for back-to-back Fifa World Cups in 1998 and 2002.

On both occasions they were eliminated in...