Kenya were the designated hosts but 14 months before the tournament they pulled out, saying it would cost six times more than they had expected. So in November 1994, the Confederation of African Football had to look elsewhere.
The country's football crew had as of late gotten back to the worldwide stage, being re-owned up to Fifa following the arrangement of a new multi-racial football relationship in 1991 as the politically-sanctioned racial segregation framework started to be annihilated.
South Africa were picked as substitution has. Be that as it may, they were never expected to win it. Truth be told, early outcomes after their 1991 readmission were so terrible they decreased their FA's overall secretary Solomon Morewa to tears.
Brief presentational dim line
The Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) would be unique. The extraordinary occasions of the 1990s that destroyed over three centuries of white rule in South Africa additionally cleared up football with its relentless force.
The account of the nation's amazing Rugby World Cup win as hosts in 1995 is notable.
Be that as it may, as indicated by the individuals who addressed the youthful majority rules system in the Afcon of 1996, this triumph had a much greater effect.
Cameroon were South Africa's first adversaries. On 13 January 1996, they met at Soccer City arena right external Soweto, where 20 years sooner huge number of understudies had challenged white-minority rule, with hundreds killed in the police reaction.
Neil Tovey was 33. A protector with homegrown side Kaizer Chiefs, he had made his global presentation soon after his 30th birthday celebration, in July 1992. That was in his nation's first match as a multi-racial, genuinely public group - which likewise turned out to be against Cameroon and which they won 1-0.
"In the event that before the competition you'd inquired as to whether we could win it, I couldn't say whether we would have said we could," Tovey tells the BBC World Service's World Football webcast.
"The fans and us players had no insight of global competition football. Be that as it may, advancing through the opposition, the nation just woke up."
There was one eminent nonattendance at Afcon 1996 - reigning champs Nigeria boycotted the competition
The day preceding their initial match President Mandela, whose tribe name was Madiba, made the first of a few visits to the group.
Lucas Radebe, then of Leeds United, was one more in the South Africa crew. For his purposes, meeting Mandela was practically similar to a strict encounter.
"Whenever we were growing up, we never knew what his face resembled," he says.
"We had an old image of him when he was youthful, however when he came to see us in camp, that is when there was 'Madiba Magic'. He had such an incredible atmosphere. We didn't have any idea what to say.
"That day, assuming we'd go over Brazil, we would have beaten them. That is the amount we were propelled. His presence launch us to the most significant level, where each game we played, we were playing for Madiba and South Africa."
'Madiba Magic' was the idea of Mandela going about as a lucky trinket for sports groups. It was brought into the world on 10 May 1994 - the day of Mandela's initiation - when South Africa beat Zambia interestingly, with the new president in participation.
It was by all accounts working once more. Cameroon were beaten 3-0 and the tone was set for what was to come. Leeds' Phil Masinga opened the scoring only 24 hours subsequent to arriving from England.
As indicated by ex-Charlton striker Shaun Bartlett, as South Africa won their gathering and moved into the quarter-finals they became known as Madiba's Boys.
"Indeed, even presently, simply discussing the incredible man Mandela gives me goosebumps," he says. "Each time we met him, shaking his hand, it was like he gave something to you.
"The main drawback was that you needed to awaken at half beyond four AM, on the grounds that he was still in that daily schedule from when he was in jail. He woke up right on time and took a walk. So we needed to awaken to meet him at five."
Mandela tending to fans at the 1996 Afcon's initial function
Mandela tended to fans at the initial function, talking about 'Africa rising'
However, South Africa were not delegated African bosses on account of a flood of feeling, or as a result of some sort of supernatural power. They could likewise play, and were instructed well by Clive Barker.
"He observed the characteristics in every player and allow them to do what made them great," says Tovey, who with 29 appearances was his country's most-covered player.
Going into the competition, they were on a 13-match unbeaten run which included draws against Germany and Argentina.
Added to that great structure was the European experience of Radebe and Phil Masinga at Leeds, and Wolves striker Mark Williams. Safeguard Mark Fish was being watched by Manchester United and would sometime thereafter finish paperwork for Lazio, prior to joining Bolton in 1997.
What's more, after the rugby crew's exceptional triumph the earlier year, which brought together a country behind a to a great extent white side, there was something to satisfy.
"That was one of the objectives we talked about," says Tovey.
"We realize that our job was likewise to have an influence in uniting our nation, and Madiba realize that us doing great would expand the harmony in the country.
"The rapture around the rugby crew winning was still just 10% of what it could get to assuming we accomplished a similar outcome."
Lucas Radebe
Radebe was told to return to Leeds straight after the last - he had no chance to celebrate
An emotional 2-1 success over Algeria in the quarter-finals, secured by John 'Shoes' Moshoeu's 86th-minute objective, set up a semi-last against Ghana. They were the competition top picks, Africa's highest level group, and the only one unbeaten in the opposition.
Their considerable crew flaunted Bayern Munich protector Samuel Kuffour, Torino midfielder Abedi Pele - the dad of Andre and Jordan Ayew - and one more Leeds player in productive striker Tony Yeboah.
In any case, the Ghanians were dispatched without function in another 3-0 destruction.
"Ghana was presumably perhaps our best execution ever," says Tovey.
"There was a ton of contention among Lucas and Yeboah. All around the field, we dominated individual match-ups."
Insight about the triumph drove every one of the papers the next day. The money situated Business Day expressed: "When South Africa beat Ghana, white the suburbs was rushing to the soccer in numbers not seen for a considerable length of time at neighborhood and African-based challenges."
Just before the last, the main Afrikaans-language everyday Beeld's first page feature was written in Zulu: 'Yebo Bafana!' (Yeah, The Boys!)
Tunisia were their adversaries.
General View of the Soccer City Stadium during the African Cup of Nations Final between South Africa and Tunisia
Tunisia were maybe not among the pre-competition top choices, but rather they had urged their direction to the last
A horde of 80,000, including President Mandela, Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini and Brazil legend Pele stuffed Soccer City three hours before start off.
Mandela wore a copy of Neil Tovey's number nine shirt, while many fans had varieties of the message 'Make Madiba Magic' painted on their uncovered chests.
Save for a Bartlett shot that the Tunisia goalkeeper tipped onto the bar, the primary half was impeded in midfield. In any case, similarly as the match was floating, halfway through the final part Williams, who had come on for Masinga, jumped.
The striker scored two times shortly - one a short proximity header, the other a left-foot shot - to give South Africa a popular triumph. The consequence wanted to bubble bliss.
"I actually recollect maybe it was yesterday," Radebe says. "In the nation, everyone's feet were not contacting the ground.
"You could hear Soweto. Not the ground, but rather the fans outside the arena in the municipality crying, shouting.
"Whenever we drove away from the arena, individuals were simply hurling themselves on the ground. Certain individuals conveyed a shoe, certain individuals brought a genuine fish (in reverence to 'Shoes' Moshoeu and Mark Fish).
"It was totally unimaginable. I feel that was the pride of the country."
South Africa celebrate scoring against Tunisia
South Africa would proceed to meet all requirements for the following two World Cups
Talking before his passing in 2015 matured 49 in the wake of experiencing stomach disease, Moshoeu reviewed how he stalled in tears when a white fan requested his signature.
South Africa actually confronted huge difficulties; sport can't settle everything. However, Mandela perceived its power.
"Sport has the ability to change the world," he said. "It has the ability to motivate. It has the ability to join individuals such that little else does.
"Game can make trust where when there was just depression. It is more impressive than government in separating racial boundaries."
Radebe saw a change in elements right away.
"Hearing white individuals say 'you're my legend, you're my object of worship' brought such a lot of feeling since I recollect what we went through such an extremely long time. That was the new South Africa," he says.
"Our brains lit up. Our eyes were seeing something past what we saw previously. It was totally enthralling. In light of football."
Tovey says that feeling endured past the prompt long periods of festivity.
"Presently there were more whites coming to the ground and observing large club matches and internationals. The help endlessly developed through every one of the cosmopolitan gatherings.
"It was colossal, how we helped the country. Around 10 or 12% of the populace was keen on the rugby yet soccer, it was 90-95 percent. The white ranchers even had some awareness of Bafana now.
"That is not corrupting how the rugby players helped the country. They were quick to do it in 1995, and they did an amazing great work."
South Africa fans hold up a representation of Nelson Mandela in the stands
Mandela said: 'Game can make trust where when there was just depression. It is more impressive than government in separating racial hindrances'
The football inheritance was South Africa's capability for the following two World Cups. They were other participants and third in the accompanying two Afcons.
In the passages of force, then-Fifa president Joao Havelange guaranteed Africa would have the 2006 World Cup. In the long run, in 2010, it occurred in South Africa.
Concerning Tovey, Radebe and Bartlett - they will always be seen as champions to individuals of their country. Tovey got the prize from Mandela.
"As an athlete, you simply approach your busine
