Bafana Bafana have turned a corner in self belief.

For years it seemed inevitable that Bafana Bafana would always break the hearts of their South African supporters and mess up at a crucial moment thereby snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

The stories of holding their bosses to ransom for higher pay, indiscipline and not arriving for training, arrogance and not maintaining fitness levels and playing glory football with individuals hogging the ball and show boating.

All of the above were regarded as synonomous with the South African soccer (football) team. With the performances against Brazil and Spain in the semi final and third place playoff in the Confederations Cup held here in South Africa, this is at last no more.

Holding Brazil to a 0-0 scoreline until the 88th minute and only succumbing 1-0 was a huge achievement but the discipline on the field with players holding to their formation and zones and playing a passing game, at times one touch, that seemed beyond the team only a short while ago was the personal memory that will live on.

Against Spain yesterday in the playoff for third place Bafana were up against the number 1 ranked team in the world and they would have been excused had they been a bit intimidated. Not a bit of it as they took the game confidently to the Spaniards and then had the audacity to score first.

There were a couple of half chances that could have put the game beyond Spain but Bafana fought tooth and nail and only two Spanish goals within seconds of each other seemed to have knocked the stuffing out of them.

Yet with the sands of time running out the never say die spirit from Bafana produced a goal to equalise and send the game into extra time. The first peroid saw Bafana with a couple of clear chances which they failed to take.

Spain started to take a stranglehold on the game and in the second period of extra time got the all important goal. The Spaniards knew that they had been in a tough game and despite losing Bafana were not disgraced.

Life is made up of turning points and this one proved to all and sundry that Bafana can play prfessional football and not disgrace their country. Maybe the most important proof was for the players themselves as the cycle of embarrasment had been turning and repeating fo so long that many players could not remember when last Bafana were competitive at the top level. Now everybody does.

No names have been mentioned specifically as the results have bonded a team together with some in the media claiming that certain talented individuals being left out for disciplinary reasons was detrimental to the team. Now we know that no individual is greater than the team.