'We are really proud': Xulu praises Bafana for defying the odds as they look to finish 3rd at Afcon

Bafana Bafana's senior campaigners, Siyanda Xulu and Veli Mothwa, are proud of the team's coming of age performance, going from boys to men in an Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) run only matched by the team's performance in the 2000 edition. 

The 32-year-olds are among the oldest members of the team, with 34-year-old Thabang Monare and Themba Zwane the only members who are older than them. 

These veterans arrived with a Bafana team in Ivory Coast on 11 January, carrying little expectations, having failed to qualify for the previous Afcon edition. When they lost their opening match to Mali, many South Africans thought they would just play the regulation three games and then come back home.