South African football followers woke up to the sad news of the passing of the most successful National Soccer Team Coach. In March, Clive Barker’s family revealed through a press release that the legendary coach had been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), which is a degenerative disease. It is a form of progressive dementia that leads to a decline in thinking and independent function.
Earlier this year (2023), Barker was treated for an aneurysm affecting blood flow to his heart. He seemed to be on the mend but ultimately succumbed to the illness.
Since South Africa's readmission to international football in 1992, "The Dog", as Clive was affectionately and popularly known among the throngs of soccer supporters, was appointed the fifth coach at the helm of Bafana Bafana's hot seat in 1994. Clive is the most successful coach who steered the national team's ship.
Signs of more extraordinary things to come were evident during that historical match that was played by South Africa against Zambia in May 1994 at Ellis Park Stadium to mark the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as the first democratically elected President of the Republic.
After Mandela delivered his famous "Reconciliation Speech" during the half-time break, our boys came out of the tunnel with guns blazing, and it came as no surprise when Doctor Khumalo and Brandon Augustine scored for Mzansi and Wedson Nyirenda pulled one back for Chipolopolo.
Since the appointment of Clive at the helm, Bafana Bafana’s confidence grew in leaps and bounds. This was evident in the international friendly matches organized to prepare them for the 1996 Afcon and 1998 FIFA Soccer World Cup that would be hosted here at home and in France, respectively.
Before these tournaments, the SAFA hierarchy at the time was sufficiently visionary in that they partnered with a snack company to organize a Four Nations Tournament that would be a regular feature at Mmabatho Stadium.
This was where and when South Africans saw that “The Dog” meant business. I can still vividly visualize the bicycle-kick goal that the late “Chippa” Masinga scored to knock out Egypt and send the crowd into an uncontrolled moment of exuberance.
Next in line was an international friendly against the John Ortega-led Argentina at Ellis Park, and when we thought Argentina beat us 1-0, Doctor "16V" Khumalo again performed his magic to find us an equalizer through a well-taken grass-cutting shot.
The country was ecstatic with the boys' performance, and most of them, when interviewed, attributed their performances to Coach Barker for his motivating skills and tactics. Mzansi also played to convincing draws against Holland and France in preparation for Afcon 96, which is now water under the bridge that Clive is the only coach to have won it for Mzansi on home soil when we beat Tunisia 2-0 in the final at FNB Stadium.
Before that, in 1995, a temporary stand-off between SAFA and Clive prompted the national association to appoint Jomo Sono as an interim coach for the international friendly against the Jurgen Klinsman-led strong Germany squad. Here also, it was evident that the Clive Barker well-oiled machine was not disturbed as they held their own against the Germans.
That was the very same game in that Seán Dundee betrayed us by faking an injury, knowing deep down that he wanted to play for Germany instead of South Africa, whereas German coach Bertie Voghts did not hold him in that high regard by then.
It is also vital to mention that during our only second attempt to qualify for the World Cup finals, Barker was the only one who managed that feat after Trott "Trappattoni" Moloto failed to qualify for the USA 94 World Cup Finals.
It is still vividly apparent in the minds of South Africans, the scorcher, that the late Chippa Masinga hit the roof of the net against the DRC at FNB Stadium with the two countries tied on 10 points each.
All of Mzansi was dancing the famous "Barker Wave", which resembled a flight in motion. Figuratively, Clive was saying we were going to fly to Paris.
In one of his columns at a weekly soccer publication, Khumalo stressed that had South Africa gone to France with Clive at the helm, we would have been the first country in the history of the World Cup to have qualified for the first time and reach the semi-finals.
His Afcon 96 captain Neil "Mokoko" Tovey, also echoed these sentiments.
MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN ETERNAL PEACE, CLIVE "THE DOG" BARKER
