Former Bafana Bafana star midfielder Doctor Khumalo was left in tears during the memorial service of South Africa’s iconic coach Clive Barker at Olive Convention Centre on Thursday, saying the country has dismally “failed him”.
Khumalo, who set up the second goal when Bafana beat Tunisia 2-0 in the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations final on home soil, did not last long in his speech, as he was left emotional.
The former Kaizer Chiefs star midfielder was on crutches after undergoing operation on his foot 48 hours ago, but was able to come and pay his last tribute to arguably the greatest ever coach in South Africa.
Barker passed away on Saturday after a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). On Thursday, he was honoured with a category 2 funeral by the government.
The 78-year-old led the South African men’s senior national team to their first and only Africa Cup of Nations title in 1996, and he also qualified the country to their first FIFA World Cup in 1998.
“No coach has achieved what Clive achieved and we have failed him as a nation,” said Khumalo as all other 1996 heroes congregated around the coffin of Barker.
“You look at Themba Zwane at Mamelodi Sundowns today [who he coached at Mpumalanga Black Aces], brilliant footballer. I would like to say to Clive, thank you very much for putting a smile on all South African faces.
“Thank you Clive for moulding the class of 1996 to become champions and thank you for believing in us, because you deserve better.
“The reason I’m saying this, in 1994, all the guys that are here will attest to this, you said to us you want to win the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996 and 1998 you would qualify us for the FIFA World Cup in France and that is exactly what happened.
“You have made icons in life in South Africa. You had given us an opportunity to play overseas from the squad of 1996 and you were the father to us and we love you.”
Neil Tovey, who lifted the 1996 AFCON title, said: “When Clive was given the post in 1994, we got together at Milpark Holiday Inn and we had the discussion around ‘what can make this team tick’?
“I said to him, it needs love and we discussed and said ‘be yourself’ because of my past experiences with Durban City and AmaZulu.”
Barker’s two sons John and Gavin also spoke, but the former struggled to complete his speech as he was overcome by emotions and tears.
Others who paid their last tribute to Barker were George Dearnaley, who scored twice when Barker’s AmaZulu beat Kaizer Chiefs in the Coca-Cola Cup final in 1992.
“He made all his players feel special. He made average players become good players. He made the better ones great. We will miss him,” he said.
Renowned football commentator, Mark Gleeson, who started as a journalist in 1985 in Durban and has followed Barker’s coaching career since then, also paid tribute.
“He was a person who broke many barriers in this country,” Gleeson said.
“A white man went to the township in 1974, that was 20 years before changes [democracy] happened in this country. He made an immense contribution to this country.”
Story by Robin-Duke Madlala (@duke_robin).
