Following the conclusion of the tournament, Gareth Barry labeled historic Bafana Bafana as "one of the best stories" of the World Cup after South Africa defied the critics to reach the knockout stages. Picture: PAUL ELLIS / AFP
As the FIFA World Cup drew to a close on Sunday, former England international and Aston Villa legend Gareth Barry highlighted Bafana Bafana’s historic campaign as one of the tournament's absolute standouts.
“This has been a great World Cup—South Africa are one of the best stories. South Africa made history as a young squad qualifying for the knockout stages for the first time,” Barry told IOL, courtesy of Lyllo Casino.
While Spain edged out Argentina 1-0 after extra time in a dramatic final just outside New York City over the weekend, it was Bafana’s unprecedented run to the knockout stages that truly caught Barry’s eye.
Heading into the tournament, skeptics argued that expanding the format from 32 to 48 teams would dilute the level of competition. However, Barry strongly disagreed.
