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Why Bafana Bafana have to rebrand for 2010

I found the below extract from an article posted on BizCommunity quite interesting. Why Bafana Bafana have to rebrand for 2010:

Bafana Bafana, meaning Boys, Boys, was coined by three Sowetan sports reporters in 1992, shortly after the readmission of South Africa to world football. According to Neil Tovey, captain of the winning 1996 Africa Cup of Nations team, who was present at the time, "We were doing well and we were rookies in football, and that's what it means."

On the other hand, the nickname 'Springboks' originated during the first tour of the South African Rugby team to Britain in 1906/7. At an impromptu meeting, the tour manager, officials and captain Paul Roos invented the nickname to prevent the British press from coining their own nickname. Roos told newspaper reporters that they were to call the team 'De Springbokken'. The Daily Mail then printed an article referring to the 'Springboks'. The team thereafter wore blazers with a springbok on the left breast pocket.

More on the name changes: Mbeki urges consideration of new team names

 
 

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