Many South African supporters still remember one of Bafana Bafana’s most painful moments on the biggest stage, which is Pierre Issa’s own goal against France at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
At the time, Issa was a relatively unknown defender who had only recently broken into the national team setup.
South Africa had qualified for their first-ever World Cup with established stars such as Mark Fish and Lucas Radebe leading the defence, making Issa’s inclusion in the starting line-up for the tournament opener a surprise to many.
Bafana Bafana‘s first match at the World Cup saw them take on hosts and eventual champions France. South Africa suffered a 3-0 defeat, but the game is often remembered for Issa’s unfortunate own goal.
While many fans believe Issa scored two own goals that day, he was only credited with one. France’s third goal, scored in second-half stoppage time, is frequently and incorrectly attributed to the former Bafana defender.
The goal was officially awarded to Thierry Henry and marked the future Arsenal striker’s first international goal for Les Bleus.
Despite the own goal, Pierre Issa was solid for Bafana
Following Bafana’s disappointing World Cup debut, Issa became the target of criticism from sections of the South African football community and was often made the scapegoat for the team’s failure to progress beyond the group stage.
The former Marseille defender went on to rebuild his reputation and establish himself as one of South Africa’s finest defenders of his generation. He represented Bafana Bafana 47 times before retiring from international football in 2006.
Remarkably, since Pierre Issa’s own goal against France in 1998, no South African player has scored an own goal at a FIFA World Cup.
After hanging up his boots, Issa remained involved in football, serving as a sporting director at several clubs, including Greek giants Olympiacos.
Today, Pierre Issa runs Playeleven11, a company dedicated to identifying and developing football talent in Africa and France, helping nurture the next generation of stars.
