South Africa national football team
Encyclopedia
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa
in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association
, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City
, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in Johannesburg
. The team's current head coach is Pitso Mosimane
. They returned to the world stage in 1992, after years of being banned from FIFA
due to the apartheid system. In 2010, South Africa became the first Africa
n nation to host the FIFA World Cup
when it hosted the 19th FIFA World Cup
in June and July 2010. The team's Siphiwe Tshabalala
was also the first person to score in this World Cup during the opening game against Mexico
. Despite defeating France
2–1 in their final game of the Group Stage, they failed to progress from the first round of the tournament, becoming the first host nation to do so. South Africa had hosted the FIFA Confederations Cup
in 2009
. The team's highest achievement was winning the African Cup of Nations
at home in 1996.
Football Association (SAIFA), the South African Bantu Football Association (SABFA) and the South African Coloured
Football Association (SACFA) were founded in 1903, 1933 and 1936 respectively.
South Africa was one of four African nations to attend FIFA's 1953 congress, at which the four demanded, and won, representation on the FIFA executive committee. Thus the four nations (South Africa, Ethiopia
, Egypt
and Sudan
) founded the Confederation of African Football
in 1956, and the South African representative, Fred Fell, sat at the first meeting as a founding member. It soon became clear however that South Africa's constitution prohibited racially mixed teams from competitive sport and so they could only send either an all-black side or an all-white side to the planned 1957 African Cup of Nations
. This was unacceptable to the other members of the Confederation and South Africa were disqualified from the competition, however some sources say that they withdrew voluntarily.
At the second CAF conference in 1958 South Africa were formally expelled from CAF. The all-white (FASA) were admitted to FIFA
in the same year, but in August 1960 it was given an ultimatum of one year to fall in line with the non-discriminatory regulations of FIFA. On 26 September 1961 at the annual FIFA conference, the South African association was formally suspended from FIFA. Sir Stanley Rous
, president of The Football Association
of England and a champion of South Africa's FIFA membership, was elected FIFA President a few days later. Rous was adamant that sport, and FIFA in particular, should not embroil itself in political matters and against fierce opposition he continued to resist attempts to expel South Africa from FIFA. The suspension was lifted in January 1963 after a visit to South Africa by Rous in order to investigate the state of football in the country.
Rous declared that if the suspension were not lifted, football there would be discontinued, possibly to the point of no recovery. The next annual conference of FIFA in October 1964 took place in Tokyo and was attended by a larger contingent of representatives from African and Asian associations and here the suspension of South Africa's membership was re-imposed. In 1976, after the Soweto uprising, they were formally expelled from FIFA.
In 1991, when the apartheid system was beginning to be demolished, a new multi-racial South African Football Association was formed, and admitted to FIFA – and thus finally allowing South Africa to enter the qualifying stages for subsequent World Cups.
1–0 at Kings Park
in Durban
.
The team entered the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and was placed in Group 5, along with Mauritius
, Zambia
and Zimbabwe
. They won one game, away to Mauritius, and drew to Mauritius and Zimbabwe at home. The team finished third in the group and failed to qualify.
For the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
South Africa was placed in Group D, along with Congo
, Libya
and Nigeria
. Libya withdrew from the qualifiers. South Africa beat Congo home and away.The drew to Nigeria at home and lost away. South Africa finished second in the group, and failed to qualify for the next stage of the qualifiers.
, but failed to progress past the group stage.
, but failed to progress past the group stage.
, that England coach Sven-Göran Eriksson
was to be the man for the job, with SAFA apparently offering him R30 million to take Bafana Bafana to glory in 2010. However this has since been denied.
The former Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira
accepted the job. He signed a R100 million contract covering four years. His term as manager started 1 January 2007 targeting the 2010 World Cup
but he resigned in April 2008 due to family reasons. Joel Santana
signed to coach until 2010, but was fired in late 2009. Carlos Alberto Parreira then returned to coach the team.
The team was eliminated during the group stage of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. They were losing semifinalists at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
, but failed to qualify for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.
During the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, the team played a good tournament, despite not making it past the group stage. South Africa tied 1-1 with Mexico in the opener, scoring first. They lost 3-0 to Uruguay despite showing some promise early in the game. They were able to defeat France 2-1 mostly dominating the game, but because of goal difference, they could not advance to the Round of 16.
against Sierra Leone in a game they needed to win, when news about Niger trailing in Egypt was received, leading to the qualification of Niger at their and also Sierra Leone expense. They then celebrated at the end as if they had qualified making it the second time they will be so embarrassed in 4 years after qualifying as a lucky 3rd and last best runners-up for the 2008 edition with Zambia
catapulting over South Africa as Group winners after a 3-1 win in Cape Town
- and thereby gaining an automatic qualifying ticket on head to head record with the South Africans erroneously thinking goal difference will be the primary tie-breaker.
The SABC
also announced that the team had qualified and the SAFA
president Kirsten Nematandani then congratulated the team on TV before realization dawned. SAFA
said they would appeal to CAF
but the appeal was later withdrawn.
and translates as "the boys, the boys". Its actual meaning [to those who understand Zulu deeply]'Go boys! Go boys !'
In July 1992, at Kingspark stadium in Durban fans shouted 'Bafana bafana' which means 'Go boys go boys' when South Africa was on the verge to beat Cameroon and also after the game then a group of three journalists from South Africa newspaper, The Sowetan
, began to use the name in print media when referring to the team. The name was used informally, as SAFA felt that the name was not commercially viable, and that it was degrading to refer to a team of men as boys.
Standton Woodrush Ltd applied for a patent of the name in 1993. The name was patented granted, however it was for clothing only. In 1994, the team's technical sponsor at the time, Kappa, applied for the trademarks to the names "Bafana" and "Bafana Bafana" in class 25. These rights were granted, and subsequently passed on to SAFA. In 1997, SAFA filed for the trademark "Bafana Bafana" for all goods and services, in all classes.
SAFA then applied to have Standton Woodrush Ltd removed from the Trade Marks register, on the grounds that SAFA was the rightful owner of the name. The case was dismissed on the ground that SAFA was not an interested person within the meaning of this term as used in the Trade Marks Act No. 94 of 1993, which provides that only an interested party has legal standing to seek relief.
SAFA made another application to gain ownership of the trade mark, with the second application going to the Appeal Court. The court again found that SAFA did not have the grounds to ownership of the name in all classes. The court held that an intention to use a mark does not create a preference to registration, and that the proprietor of a trade mark need not be its originator.
In 2011 SAFA paid R5 million to Standton Woodrush Ltd. This allowed SAFA to own the rights to the name "Bafana Bafana" in class 25, and all other classes.
The largest venue used is the 94 700-seater Soccer City
in Soweto
, outside Johannesburg
. Other often used venues include the Atteridgeville Super Stadium, outside Pretoria
, the Royal Bafokeng Stadium
, outside Rustenburg, the Free State Stadium
in Bloemfontein
and Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban
.
Matches have also been hosted at Ellis Park
in Johannesburg, Kings Park
in Durban, Cape Town Stadium and Newlands Stadium
in Cape Town
, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
and the EPRU Stadium in Port Elizabeth, Loftus Versfeld
in Pretoria, Orlando Stadium
in Soweto, Mbombela Stadium
in Nelspruit
, Peter Mokaba Stadium
in Polokwane
and Hoffe Park Stadium in Kimberley
.
The team has also hosted matches outside of South Africa. In preparation for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
, the team hosted a friendly in Baiersbronn
, Germany
. As a warm-up for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
, the team hosted a friendly at Mong Kok Stadium
in Hong Kong
. In 2006 the team hosted a Nelson Mandela Challenge match at Griffin Park
, in London
, England
. During their preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, the team hosted two matches in Germany. The matches were played at the BRITA-Arena
in Wiesbaden
and the Stadion am Bieberer Berg in Offenbach am Main.
owns the rights to national team matches played in South Africa. SAFA currently have a contract with the South African Broadcasting Corporation
, to broadcast these matches. It is up to the SABC to procure the rights to matches played outside of the country.
The SABC usually shows most national team games, though they have often had problems with broadcasting weekday matches. They have previously used delayed live footage
, and sometimes not shown matches.
Most large tournaments in which the team play, such as the FIFA World Cup
and Africa Cup of Nations, have separate broadcast rights.Supersport purchase the pay tv rights to these tournaments, thus during these tournaments, they also show South African matches. The SABC usually holds the free to air rights to these tournaments, with the notable exception being the 2002 FIFA World Cup
. Those matches were shown be e.tv.
When the team returned to international football in 1992, their kit was supplied by Italian clothing company, Kappa
. The team wore Kappa kits up to and during the 1998 FIFA World Cup
.
Since the 1998 World Cup, the kits for all South African national football teams have been supplied by German sports apparel company Adidas
. The sponsorship deal is believed to be worth R14 million per year. Their contract with the South African Football Association
runs until the end of 2010.
The team has two main sponsors, ABSA and South African Breweries
, which sponsors the team under their Castle Lager brand. The team's techinal sponsor was Adidas
, and its broadcast sponsor is the SABC
. Other sponsors are AVIS
, Coca-Cola
, Internet Solutions, Mercedes-Benz South Africa
, Netcare
, South African Airways
, SASOL
, Southern Sun
and Vodacom
.
On 7 June 2011, SAFA announced Puma
as its new technical sponsor and unveiled Bafana Bafana's new kit.
Upcoming matches
against Côte d'Ivoire
and Zimbabwe
at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
on 12 November and Rufaro Stadium
on 15 November 2011 respectively. Bongani Khumalo pulled out of the squad due to an injury, and was replced by Siyanda Xulu
.
Caps and goals updated as of 12 November 2011, following the match against Côte d'Ivoire
.
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Notes
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
, they have not made it past the first round. The team's first attempt to qualify as for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
. The team finished second in their group, behind Nigeria
, who went on to play at the World Cup. Their first appearance was in France 1998
, six years after they had been readmitted to the global football family. Despite a 3–0 drubbing to France
in their opening game, they went on to draw against Denmark
and Saudi Arabia
, the team finished third and thus exited the tournement. Korea/Japan 2002
was expected to be an opportunity for Bafana Bafana to step up to the next level but they were eliminated at the group stage despite drawing to Paraguay
and beating Slovenia
1–0 for their first-ever World Cup win. The team finished third in their group, losing out to Paraguay on goal difference. The team failed to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
after finishing third in their qualifying group. Ghana
won the group and progressed to the tournement, while Congo DR
finished ahead of South Africa on head to head results. During the 2010 World Cup
in South Africa
, they beat France
2–1 and drew 1–1 to Mexico
, but lost 0–3 to Uruguay
. They lost out on progression to the round of 16, on goal difference, for their second World Cup in a row.
(1992) and (2002–03) Augusto Palacios (1992–94) Clive Barker
(1994–97) Jomo Sono
(1998) and (2002) Philippe Troussier
(1998) Trott Moloto
(1998–00) Carlos Queiroz
(2000–02) April Phumo
(2004) Stuart Baxter
(2004–05) Ted Dumitru
(2005–06) Carlos Alberto Parreira
(2007–08) and (2009–10) Joel Santana
(2008–09) Pitso Mosimane
(2006) and (2010–)
Caretaker coach during 1998 African Cup of NationsCaretaker coach during 2002 FIFA World CupCaretaker coach for seven matches
became the first South African player to reach 100 caps on 31 May 2010, against Guatemala
: to celebrate he wore kit numbered 100.
From 2008 onwards, SAFA have sent a 'Development XI'
to the COSAFA Cup. These matches thus do not not count towards the senior national team's records.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association
South African Football Association
The South African Football Association or SAFA is the governing body of football in South Africa.-History:The South African Football Association was founded on 8 December, 1991, the culmination of a long unity process that was to rid the sport in South Africa of all its past racial division.Four...
, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City
FNB Stadium
Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium for commercial purposes, is a stadium located in Nasrec, the Soweto area of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located next to the South African Football Association headquarters where both the FIFA offices and the Local Organising Committee for the 2010 FIFA World...
, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. The team's current head coach is Pitso Mosimane
Pitso Mosimane
Pitso John Mosimane is a South African football former player and coach and currently the manager of the South Africa national football team....
. They returned to the world stage in 1992, after years of being banned from FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
due to the apartheid system. In 2010, South Africa became the first Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n nation to host the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
when it hosted the 19th FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in June and July 2010. The team's Siphiwe Tshabalala
Siphiwe Tshabalala
Lawrence Siphiwe Tshabalala is a South African professional footballer, who currently plays for Kaizer Chiefs.-Club career:...
was also the first person to score in this World Cup during the opening game against Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
. Despite defeating France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
2–1 in their final game of the Group Stage, they failed to progress from the first round of the tournament, becoming the first host nation to do so. South Africa had hosted the FIFA Confederations Cup
FIFA Confederations Cup
The FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
in 2009
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
. The team's highest achievement was winning the African Cup of Nations
African Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations, also referred to as the African Cup of Nations or African Nations Cup, officially CAN , is the main international association football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football , and was first held in 1957. Since 1968, it has been...
at home in 1996.
Pre-1992
Football first arrived in South Africa through colonialism in the late nineteenth century, as the game was popular among British soldiers. From the earliest days of the sport in South Africa until the end of apartheid, organised football was affected by the country's system of racial segregation. The all-white Football Association of South Africa (FASA), was formed in 1892, while the South African IndianIndian South Africans
Indian South Africans are people of Indian descent living in South Africa and mostly live in and around the city of Durban, making it 'the largest 'Indian' city outside India'. Most Indians in South Africa are descendents of migrants from colonial India during late 19th-century through early...
Football Association (SAIFA), the South African Bantu Football Association (SABFA) and the South African Coloured
Coloured
In the South African, Namibian, Zambian, Botswana and Zimbabwean context, the term Coloured refers to an heterogenous ethnic group who possess ancestry from Europe, various Khoisan and Bantu tribes of Southern Africa, West Africa, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaya, India, Mozambique,...
Football Association (SACFA) were founded in 1903, 1933 and 1936 respectively.
South Africa was one of four African nations to attend FIFA's 1953 congress, at which the four demanded, and won, representation on the FIFA executive committee. Thus the four nations (South Africa, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
) founded the Confederation of African Football
Confederation of African Football
The Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...
in 1956, and the South African representative, Fred Fell, sat at the first meeting as a founding member. It soon became clear however that South Africa's constitution prohibited racially mixed teams from competitive sport and so they could only send either an all-black side or an all-white side to the planned 1957 African Cup of Nations
1957 African Cup of Nations
The 1957 African Cup of Nations was the first edition of the African Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa . It was hosted by Sudan, and three teams participated: Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia....
. This was unacceptable to the other members of the Confederation and South Africa were disqualified from the competition, however some sources say that they withdrew voluntarily.
At the second CAF conference in 1958 South Africa were formally expelled from CAF. The all-white (FASA) were admitted to FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
in the same year, but in August 1960 it was given an ultimatum of one year to fall in line with the non-discriminatory regulations of FIFA. On 26 September 1961 at the annual FIFA conference, the South African association was formally suspended from FIFA. Sir Stanley Rous
Stanley Rous
Sir Stanley Ford Rous, CBE was the 6th President of FIFA, serving from 1961 to 1974. He also served as secretary of the Football Association from 1934 to 1962 and was an international referee.-Early Life:...
, president of The Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
of England and a champion of South Africa's FIFA membership, was elected FIFA President a few days later. Rous was adamant that sport, and FIFA in particular, should not embroil itself in political matters and against fierce opposition he continued to resist attempts to expel South Africa from FIFA. The suspension was lifted in January 1963 after a visit to South Africa by Rous in order to investigate the state of football in the country.
Rous declared that if the suspension were not lifted, football there would be discontinued, possibly to the point of no recovery. The next annual conference of FIFA in October 1964 took place in Tokyo and was attended by a larger contingent of representatives from African and Asian associations and here the suspension of South Africa's membership was re-imposed. In 1976, after the Soweto uprising, they were formally expelled from FIFA.
In 1991, when the apartheid system was beginning to be demolished, a new multi-racial South African Football Association was formed, and admitted to FIFA – and thus finally allowing South Africa to enter the qualifying stages for subsequent World Cups.
1992 to 1994
On 7 July 1992, the South African national team played its first game in two decades, beating CameroonCameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
1–0 at Kings Park
Kings Park Stadium
Kings Park , is a stadium in the Kings Park Sporting Precinct in Durban, South Africa, which was originally built in 1891 and extensively renovated in the 1990s...
in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
.
The team entered the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and was placed in Group 5, along with Mauritius
Mauritius national football team
The Mauritius national football team, nicknamed Club M, is the national team of Mauritius and is controlled by the Mauritius Football Association.-Early years:...
, Zambia
Zambia national football team
The Zambia national football team represents the country of Zambia in the sport of association football and is governed by the Football Association of Zambia. Before independence they were known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team. The side is nicknamed Chipolopolo as copper is one of...
and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe national football team
The Zimbabwe national football team, nicknamed The Warriors, is the national team of Zimbabwe and is controlled by the Zimbabwe Football Association. They were known as the Southern Rhodesia national football team from 1939–1964, then the Rhodesia national football team until 1980, when Rhodesia...
. They won one game, away to Mauritius, and drew to Mauritius and Zimbabwe at home. The team finished third in the group and failed to qualify.
For the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
1994 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF – First Round)
Listed below are the dates and results for the First Round for the African zone of the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament. For an overview of the entire African zone, see the article 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification ...
South Africa was placed in Group D, along with Congo
Congo national football team
The Congo national football team, nicknamed the Diables Rouges , is the national team of the Republic of the Congo and is controlled by the Fédération Congolaise de Football. They have never qualified for the World Cup, but did win the Africa Cup of Nations in 1972...
, Libya
Libya national football team
The Libya national football team is the national association football team of Libya and is controlled by the Libyan Football Federation. The team has never qualified for the senior FIFA World Cup. They have qualified for three Africa Cup of Nations, one in 1982 where they finished runners-up and...
and Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
. Libya withdrew from the qualifiers. South Africa beat Congo home and away.The drew to Nigeria at home and lost away. South Africa finished second in the group, and failed to qualify for the next stage of the qualifiers.
1995 to 1998
They hosted (and won) the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations. The team were losing finalists at the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations. South Africa qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, but failed to progress past the group stage.
1999 to 2002
The team lost during finished third at the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations and were progressed to the quarter finals at the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations. South Africa qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, but failed to progress past the group stage.
2003 to 2006
The team was eliminated during the group stage at both the 2004 and 2006 Africa Cup of Nations.2007 to 2010
South Africa failed to impress local supporters by not scoring a single goal in the African Nations Cup of 2006. In light of these poor performances it was decided that the hiring of a more experienced manager was essential. Rumours began to fly, prior to the 20062006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, that England coach Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
was to be the man for the job, with SAFA apparently offering him R30 million to take Bafana Bafana to glory in 2010. However this has since been denied.
The former Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira
Carlos Alberto Parreira
Carlos Alberto Gomes Parreira is a Brazilian former football manager. He managed Brazil to championships at the 1994 World Cup, the 2004 Copa América, and the 2005 Confederations Cup...
accepted the job. He signed a R100 million contract covering four years. His term as manager started 1 January 2007 targeting the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
but he resigned in April 2008 due to family reasons. Joel Santana
Joel Santana
Joel Natalino Santana is a Brazilian football head coach and former football player. He is the current head coach of Bahia.-Biography:...
signed to coach until 2010, but was fired in late 2009. Carlos Alberto Parreira then returned to coach the team.
The team was eliminated during the group stage of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. They were losing semifinalists at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
, but failed to qualify for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.
During the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, the team played a good tournament, despite not making it past the group stage. South Africa tied 1-1 with Mexico in the opener, scoring first. They lost 3-0 to Uruguay despite showing some promise early in the game. They were able to defeat France 2-1 mostly dominating the game, but because of goal difference, they could not advance to the Round of 16.
2011
South Africa failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations finals after the rules were misread. They ultimately played for and achieved a draw at home in NelspruitNelspruit
Nelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar...
against Sierra Leone in a game they needed to win, when news about Niger trailing in Egypt was received, leading to the qualification of Niger at their and also Sierra Leone expense. They then celebrated at the end as if they had qualified making it the second time they will be so embarrassed in 4 years after qualifying as a lucky 3rd and last best runners-up for the 2008 edition with Zambia
Zambia national football team
The Zambia national football team represents the country of Zambia in the sport of association football and is governed by the Football Association of Zambia. Before independence they were known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team. The side is nicknamed Chipolopolo as copper is one of...
catapulting over South Africa as Group winners after a 3-1 win in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
- and thereby gaining an automatic qualifying ticket on head to head record with the South Africans erroneously thinking goal difference will be the primary tie-breaker.
The SABC
South African Broadcasting Corporation
The South African Broadcasting Corporation is the state-owned broadcaster in South Africa and provides 18 radio stations as well as 3 television broadcasts to the general public.-Early years:Radio broadcasting began in South Africa in 1923...
also announced that the team had qualified and the SAFA
South African Football Association
The South African Football Association or SAFA is the governing body of football in South Africa.-History:The South African Football Association was founded on 8 December, 1991, the culmination of a long unity process that was to rid the sport in South Africa of all its past racial division.Four...
president Kirsten Nematandani then congratulated the team on TV before realization dawned. SAFA
South African Football Association
The South African Football Association or SAFA is the governing body of football in South Africa.-History:The South African Football Association was founded on 8 December, 1991, the culmination of a long unity process that was to rid the sport in South Africa of all its past racial division.Four...
said they would appeal to CAF
Confederation of African Football
The Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...
but the appeal was later withdrawn.
Nickname
"Bafana Bafana" is a nickname given to the national side by its fans, it is ZuluZulu language
Zulu is the language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population...
and translates as "the boys, the boys". Its actual meaning [to those who understand Zulu deeply]'Go boys! Go boys !'
In July 1992, at Kingspark stadium in Durban fans shouted 'Bafana bafana' which means 'Go boys go boys' when South Africa was on the verge to beat Cameroon and also after the game then a group of three journalists from South Africa newspaper, The Sowetan
The Sowetan
The Sowetan is an English language, South African newspaper that started in 1981 as a liberation struggle newspaper and was freely distributed to households in the black township of Soweto, Johannesburg, Gauteng Province....
, began to use the name in print media when referring to the team. The name was used informally, as SAFA felt that the name was not commercially viable, and that it was degrading to refer to a team of men as boys.
Standton Woodrush Ltd applied for a patent of the name in 1993. The name was patented granted, however it was for clothing only. In 1994, the team's technical sponsor at the time, Kappa, applied for the trademarks to the names "Bafana" and "Bafana Bafana" in class 25. These rights were granted, and subsequently passed on to SAFA. In 1997, SAFA filed for the trademark "Bafana Bafana" for all goods and services, in all classes.
SAFA then applied to have Standton Woodrush Ltd removed from the Trade Marks register, on the grounds that SAFA was the rightful owner of the name. The case was dismissed on the ground that SAFA was not an interested person within the meaning of this term as used in the Trade Marks Act No. 94 of 1993, which provides that only an interested party has legal standing to seek relief.
SAFA made another application to gain ownership of the trade mark, with the second application going to the Appeal Court. The court again found that SAFA did not have the grounds to ownership of the name in all classes. The court held that an intention to use a mark does not create a preference to registration, and that the proprietor of a trade mark need not be its originator.
In 2011 SAFA paid R5 million to Standton Woodrush Ltd. This allowed SAFA to own the rights to the name "Bafana Bafana" in class 25, and all other classes.
Home stadium
The South Africa national football team does not use a single stadium as its home stadium for matches. Instead, they use a variety of stadiums throughout South Africa to host matches at.The largest venue used is the 94 700-seater Soccer City
FNB Stadium
Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium for commercial purposes, is a stadium located in Nasrec, the Soweto area of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located next to the South African Football Association headquarters where both the FIFA offices and the Local Organising Committee for the 2010 FIFA World...
in Soweto
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
, outside Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. Other often used venues include the Atteridgeville Super Stadium, outside Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, the Royal Bafokeng Stadium
Royal Bafokeng Stadium
The Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace is a football, rugby and athletics stadium in Phokeng near Rustenburg, South Africa It was built and is managed by the Royal Bafokeng Nation.. It is used as the home stadium for Premier Soccer League club Platinum Stars...
, outside Rustenburg, the Free State Stadium
Free State Stadium
The Free State Stadium , also known as Vodacom Park, is a stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, used mainly for rugby union and association football...
in Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
and Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
.
Matches have also been hosted at Ellis Park
Ellis Park Stadium
Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's...
in Johannesburg, Kings Park
Kings Park Stadium
Kings Park , is a stadium in the Kings Park Sporting Precinct in Durban, South Africa, which was originally built in 1891 and extensively renovated in the 1990s...
in Durban, Cape Town Stadium and Newlands Stadium
Newlands Stadium
Newlands Stadium, currently referred to as DHL Newlands for sponsorship reasons, is located in Cape Town, South Africa.The stadium currently has a capacity of 51,900 people, but is not an all seater venue....
in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a 48,000-seater stadium in Port Elizabeth.The five-tier, R2 billion Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was built overlooking the North End Lake, at the heart of the city. It is one of three coastal stadiums built in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It regularly hosts...
and the EPRU Stadium in Port Elizabeth, Loftus Versfeld
Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby and association football stadium situated in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,762 for rugby union and hosted the 2009 Currie Cup final...
in Pretoria, Orlando Stadium
Orlando Stadium
Orlando Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Soweto, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. The stadium was originally built in 1959, at a cost of £37,500, with a capacity of 24,000....
in Soweto, Mbombela Stadium
Mbombela Stadium
Mbombela Stadium is a newly built, all-seater, 40,929-seat stadium and was one of the ten venues for the FIFA World Cup 2010. It is located on open land six kilometres west of Nelspruit, South Africa, the capital of the Mpumalanga province....
in Nelspruit
Nelspruit
Nelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar...
, Peter Mokaba Stadium
Peter Mokaba Stadium
The Peter Mokaba Stadium is a football stadium in Polokwane , South Africa, that was used for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It has a capacity of 41,733. and was named after Peter Mokaba, a former leader of the ANC Youth League...
in Polokwane
Polokwane
Polokwane, meaning "Place of Safety",is a city in the Polokwane Local Municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa. It is also often referred to by its former name, Pietersburg. Polokwane is a major urban centre, the biggest and most important north of Gauteng. The population...
and Hoffe Park Stadium in Kimberley
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
.
The team has also hosted matches outside of South Africa. In preparation for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, the team hosted a friendly in Baiersbronn
Baiersbronn
Baiersbronn is a municipality in the district of Freudenstadt in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is situated in the Black Forest on the Murg river.Administratively, Baiersbronn consists of the following nine villages:* Baiersbronn* Friedrichstal...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. As a warm-up for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, the team hosted a friendly at Mong Kok Stadium
Mong Kok Stadium
Mong Kok Stadium is a stadium on Flower Market Road, Mongkok, Kowloon, Hong Kong. With capacity of 8,500, the venue hosts Hong Kong First Division League matches, a football league in Hong Kong...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. In 2006 the team hosted a Nelson Mandela Challenge match at Griffin Park
Griffin Park
Griffin Park is a football ground situated in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It has been the home ground of League One side Brentford since it was built in 1904. It is known for being the only English league football ground to have a pub on each corner, and is situated in a...
, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. During their preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, the team hosted two matches in Germany. The matches were played at the BRITA-Arena
BRITA-Arena
The BRITA-Arena is a football stadium in Wiesbaden, Germany. It is the home ground of 3rd Liga side SV Wehen Wiesbaden.The stadium is named after its former main sponsor Brita, a German company specialised in producing water filters, and replaced the Stadion am Halberg in Taunusstein as SV Wehen's...
in Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
and the Stadion am Bieberer Berg in Offenbach am Main.
Media coverage
The South African Football AssociationSouth African Football Association
The South African Football Association or SAFA is the governing body of football in South Africa.-History:The South African Football Association was founded on 8 December, 1991, the culmination of a long unity process that was to rid the sport in South Africa of all its past racial division.Four...
owns the rights to national team matches played in South Africa. SAFA currently have a contract with the South African Broadcasting Corporation
South African Broadcasting Corporation
The South African Broadcasting Corporation is the state-owned broadcaster in South Africa and provides 18 radio stations as well as 3 television broadcasts to the general public.-Early years:Radio broadcasting began in South Africa in 1923...
, to broadcast these matches. It is up to the SABC to procure the rights to matches played outside of the country.
The SABC usually shows most national team games, though they have often had problems with broadcasting weekday matches. They have previously used delayed live footage
, and sometimes not shown matches.
Most large tournaments in which the team play, such as the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and Africa Cup of Nations, have separate broadcast rights.Supersport purchase the pay tv rights to these tournaments, thus during these tournaments, they also show South African matches. The SABC usually holds the free to air rights to these tournaments, with the notable exception being the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
. Those matches were shown be e.tv.
Sponsors
The team's kit has traditionally been made up of combinations of the colours green and gold, the country's sporting colours. There was however, a period in the early 2000s, when the team wore a predominately white kit. The current home kit is mostly gold, while the away kit is mostly green.When the team returned to international football in 1992, their kit was supplied by Italian clothing company, Kappa
Kappa (company)
Kappa is an Italian company specialized at the manufacture of sporting clothes and accessories, that started as a sock and underwear manufacturer in 1916 in Turin.-Logo:...
. The team wore Kappa kits up to and during the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
.
Since the 1998 World Cup, the kits for all South African national football teams have been supplied by German sports apparel company Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
. The sponsorship deal is believed to be worth R14 million per year. Their contract with the South African Football Association
South African Football Association
The South African Football Association or SAFA is the governing body of football in South Africa.-History:The South African Football Association was founded on 8 December, 1991, the culmination of a long unity process that was to rid the sport in South Africa of all its past racial division.Four...
runs until the end of 2010.
The team has two main sponsors, ABSA and South African Breweries
SABMiller
SABMiller plc is a global brewing and bottling company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's second-largest brewing company measured by revenues and is also a major bottler of Coca-Cola. Its brands include Grolsch, Miller Genuine Draft, Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Pilsner Urquell...
, which sponsors the team under their Castle Lager brand. The team's techinal sponsor was Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, and its broadcast sponsor is the SABC
South African Broadcasting Corporation
The South African Broadcasting Corporation is the state-owned broadcaster in South Africa and provides 18 radio stations as well as 3 television broadcasts to the general public.-Early years:Radio broadcasting began in South Africa in 1923...
. Other sponsors are AVIS
Avis Rent A Car System
Avis Rent a Car System, LLC is a car rental company headquartered in Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, New Jersey, United States. Avis, Budget Rent a Car and Budget Truck Rental are all units of Avis Budget Group....
, Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
, Internet Solutions, Mercedes-Benz South Africa
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
, Netcare
Netcare
Netcare is a South African health care company. It is the largest provider of private healthcare in both South Africa and the UK...
, South African Airways
South African Airways
South African Airways is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The airline flies to 36 destinations worldwide from its hub at OR Tambo International...
, SASOL
Sasol
Sasol Ltd. is a South African company involved in mining, energy, chemicals and synfuels. In particular, they produce petrol and diesel profitably from coal and natural gas using Fischer-Tropsch process...
, Southern Sun
Southern Sun Hotel Group
Southern Sun Hotel Group is South Africa's largest hotel chain and an operator of InterContinental Hotels - branded hotels in South Africa. It was founded in 1969 by South African Breweries and hotelier Sol Kerzner....
and Vodacom
Vodacom
Vodacom is a pan-African mobile telecommunications company, and was the 1st cellular network in South Africa. It provides GSM service to more than 35 million customers in South Africa, Tanzania, Lesotho, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Revenue for the year ended 31 March 2008...
.
On 7 June 2011, SAFA announced Puma
PUMA AG
Puma SE, officially branded as PUMA, is a major German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear. Formed in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, relationships between the two brothers deteriorated until the two...
as its new technical sponsor and unveiled Bafana Bafana's new kit.
Recent and future matches
Last 5 matches| Date | Team | Result | Score | Type | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 November 2011 | L | 2–1 | International Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
 Rufaro StadiumRufaro Stadium Rufaro Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 35,000 people.... , Harare Harare Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its... , Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three... |
|
| 12 November 2011 | D | 1–1 | International Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
 Nelson Mandela Bay StadiumNelson Mandela Bay Stadium Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a 48,000-seater stadium in Port Elizabeth.The five-tier, R2 billion Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was built overlooking the North End Lake, at the heart of the city. It is one of three coastal stadiums built in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It regularly hosts... , Port Elizabeth, South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
|
| 8 October 2011 | D | 0–0 | 2012 ANC qualifier | Mbombela Stadium Mbombela Stadium Mbombela Stadium is a newly built, all-seater, 40,929-seat stadium and was one of the ten venues for the FIFA World Cup 2010. It is located on open land six kilometres west of Nelspruit, South Africa, the capital of the Mpumalanga province.... , Nelspruit Nelspruit Nelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar... , South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
|
| 4 September 2011 | L | 1–2 | 2012 ANC qualifier |  Stade Général Seyni Kountché, NiameyNiamey -Population:While Niamey's population has grown steadily since independence, the droughts of the early 1970s and 1980s, along with the economic crisis of the early 1980s, have propelled an exodus of rural inhabitants to Niger's largest city... , Niger Niger Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east... |
|
| 10 August 2011 | W | 3–0 | International Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
Ellis Park Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's... , Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa... , South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
|
| 5 June 2011 | D | 0–0 | 2012 ANC qualifier |  Cairo Military Academy StadiumCairo Military Academy Stadium The Cairo Military Academy Stadium is located in Cairo, Egypt and has a total capacity of 22,000.It was one of six stadiums to be used in the 2006 African Cup of Nations, held in Egypt.... , Cairo Cairo Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life... , Egypt Egypt Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... |
Upcoming matches
| Date | Team | Type | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 January 2012 | International Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
|
| 1 June 2012 | 2014 World Cup qualifier 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Second Round This page provides the summaries of the CAF Second Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The second round will see the top 28 ranked CAF teams joined by the 12 winners from the first round... |
South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
|
| 8 June 2012 | 2014 World Cup qualifier 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Second Round This page provides the summaries of the CAF Second Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The second round will see the top 28 ranked CAF teams joined by the 12 winners from the first round... |
 Botswana National StadiumBotswana National Stadium The Botswana National Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Gaborone, Botswana. It is currently used mostly for Football matches. The stadium holds 22,000.... , Gaborone Gaborone ' is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 191,776 based on a 2006 survey, about 10% of the total population of Botswana.... , Botswana Botswana Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966... |
|
| 2014 World Cup qualifier 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Second Round This page provides the summaries of the CAF Second Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The second round will see the top 28 ranked CAF teams joined by the 12 winners from the first round... |
|||
| 2014 World Cup qualifier 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Second Round This page provides the summaries of the CAF Second Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The second round will see the top 28 ranked CAF teams joined by the 12 winners from the first round... |
|||
| 2014 World Cup qualifier 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Second Round This page provides the summaries of the CAF Second Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The second round will see the top 28 ranked CAF teams joined by the 12 winners from the first round... |
South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
||
| 2014 World Cup qualifier 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Second Round This page provides the summaries of the CAF Second Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The second round will see the top 28 ranked CAF teams joined by the 12 winners from the first round... |
Current squad
A 28-man squad has been selected for international friendliesExhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
against Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe national football team
The Zimbabwe national football team, nicknamed The Warriors, is the national team of Zimbabwe and is controlled by the Zimbabwe Football Association. They were known as the Southern Rhodesia national football team from 1939–1964, then the Rhodesia national football team until 1980, when Rhodesia...
at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a 48,000-seater stadium in Port Elizabeth.The five-tier, R2 billion Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was built overlooking the North End Lake, at the heart of the city. It is one of three coastal stadiums built in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It regularly hosts...
on 12 November and Rufaro Stadium
Rufaro Stadium
Rufaro Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 35,000 people....
on 15 November 2011 respectively. Bongani Khumalo pulled out of the squad due to an injury, and was replced by Siyanda Xulu
Siyanda Xulu
Siyanda Xulu is a South African football defender, who currently plays for Premier Soccer League club Mamelodi Sundowns.-External links:* at absapremiership.co.za...
.
Caps and goals updated as of 12 November 2011, following the match against Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
.
|-
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! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
Recent call-ups
The following players were called up to a squad in the last 12 months. Caps, goals and club affiliations relate to the time at which the matches were played.|-
|-
! colspan="9" style="background:#b0d3fb; text-align:left;"|
|- style="background:#dfedfd;"
|-
! colspan="9" style="background:#b0d3fb; text-align:left;"|
|- style="background:#dfedfd;"
|-
! colspan="9" style="background:#b0d3fb; text-align:left;"|
|- style="background:#dfedfd;"
Notes
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
Past squads
- 1996 African Cup of Nations
- 1998 African Cup of Nations
- 2000 African Cup of Nations
- 2002 African Cup of Nations
- 2004 African Cup of Nations
- 2006 Africa Cup of Nations
- 2008 Africa Cup of Nations
- 1998 FIFA World Cup
- 2002 FIFA World Cup
- 2010 FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup Profile
Although South Africa has made three appearances in the World CupFIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, they have not made it past the first round. The team's first attempt to qualify as for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
. The team finished second in their group, behind Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
, who went on to play at the World Cup. Their first appearance was in France 1998
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, six years after they had been readmitted to the global football family. Despite a 3–0 drubbing to France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
in their opening game, they went on to draw against Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia national football team
Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
, the team finished third and thus exited the tournement. Korea/Japan 2002
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
was expected to be an opportunity for Bafana Bafana to step up to the next level but they were eliminated at the group stage despite drawing to Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
and beating Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
1–0 for their first-ever World Cup win. The team finished third in their group, losing out to Paraguay on goal difference. The team failed to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
after finishing third in their qualifying group. Ghana
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
won the group and progressed to the tournement, while Congo DR
Congo DR national football team
The Congo DR national football team is the national team of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is controlled by the Fédération Congolaise de Football-Association , and are nicknamed The Leopards.Congo have been ranked as high as 51 in the FIFA Rankings...
finished ahead of South Africa on head to head results. During the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, they beat France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
2–1 and drew 1–1 to Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
, but lost 0–3 to Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
. They lost out on progression to the round of 16, on goal difference, for their second World Cup in a row.
FIFA World Cup
| FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body... |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | ||||||
 19301930 FIFA World Cup The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930... |
Did Not Enter | |||||||
 19341934 FIFA World Cup The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934.... |
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 19381938 FIFA World Cup The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:... |
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 19501950 FIFA World Cup The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II... |
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 19541954 FIFA World Cup The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game... |
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 19581958 FIFA World Cup The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European... |
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 19621962 FIFA World Cup The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final... |
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 19661966 FIFA World Cup The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as... |
Not admitted | |||||||
 19701970 FIFA World Cup The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by... |
Banned | |||||||
 19741974 FIFA World Cup The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded... |
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 19781978 FIFA World Cup The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth... |
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 19821982 FIFA World Cup The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:... |
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| 1986 1986 FIFA World Cup The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially... |
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 19901990 FIFA World Cup The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated... |
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 19941994 FIFA World Cup The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988... |
Did Not Qualify | |||||||
| 1998 1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final... |
Group Stage | 24th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
  20022002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
Group Stage | 17th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
 20062006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... |
Did Not Qualify | |||||||
| 2010 2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... |
Group Stage | 20th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
 20142014 FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014.... |
To Be Determined | |||||||
 20182018 FIFA World Cup The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups was the process by which the locations for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups were selected. The process began officially in March 2009; eleven bids from thirteen countries were received, including one which was withdrawn and one that was... |
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 20222022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the 22nd FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that is scheduled to take place in 2022 in Qatar. The competition is scheduled to take place in June and July, although proposals have been made for a winter season. The tournament will involve... |
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| Total | Group Stage | 3/19 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 16 |
FIFA Confederations Cup
| FIFA Confederations Cup record FIFA Confederations Cup The FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams... |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
 19921992 King Fahd Cup -Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Goalscorers:2 goals Gabriel Batistuta Bruce Murray1 goal Alberto Acosta Ricardo Altamirano... |
Banned | |||||||
| 1995 1995 King Fahd Cup -Group B:---------Third place play-off:-Final:-Goalscorers:3 goals Luis García2 goals Gabriel Batistuta Peter Rasmussen Daniel Amokachi1 goal José Chamot Ariel Ortega Sebastián Rambert Brian Laudrup Michael Laudrup... |
Did Not Qualify | |||||||
| 1997 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:7 goals Romário5 goals Vladimír Šmicer4 goals Ronaldo-References:... |
Group Stage | 8th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| 1999 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:6 goals Cuauhtémoc Blanco Marzouq Al-Otaibi Ronaldinho4 goals Alex3 goals José Manuel Abundis Zé Roberto-Notes:... |
Did Not Qualify | |||||||
| 2001 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong... |
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| 2003 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's... |
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| 2005 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Awards:-Goal scorers:5 goals Adriano4 goals Luciano Figueroa John Aloisi Michael Ballack... |
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| 2009 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park... |
Fourth Place | 4th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| 2013 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup will be held in Brazil in 2013, as a prelude to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The tournament is expected to be held from 15–30 June 2013... |
To Be Determined | |||||||
| 2017 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup is expected to be held in June 2017, as a prelude to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The host will be Russia as announced on 2 December 2010.- Qualified Teams :... |
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| 2021 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup is expected to be held in June 2021, as a prelude to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The host will be Qatar as announced on 2 December 2010.- Qualified Teams : Excluding possible participation at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.... |
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| Total | Fourth Place | 2/8 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 13 |
Africa Cup of Nations
| CAF Africa Cup of Nations record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
 19571957 African Cup of Nations The 1957 African Cup of Nations was the first edition of the African Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa . It was hosted by Sudan, and three teams participated: Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia.... |
Disqualified because of apartheid | |||||||
 19591959 African Cup of Nations The 1959 African Cup of Nations was the second edition of the African Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa . It was hosted and won by the United Arab Republic, a short-lived confederation between Egypt and Syria. Only three teams participated: host team United Arab Republic, Sudan... |
Banned | |||||||
 19621962 African Cup of Nations The 1962 African Cup of Nations was the third edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Ethiopia. Nine countries entered the competition, including the reigning champions Egypt, meaning for the first time a qualification tournament was required. As... |
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 19631963 African Cup of Nations The 1963 African Cup of Nations was the fourth edition of the African Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa . It was hosted by Ghana. For the third consecutive time the hosts won the African Cup. The format changed: two groups of 3 teams each, the winners played the final,... |
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 19651965 African Cup of Nations The 1965 African Cup of Nations was the fifth edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Tunisia. Just like in 1963, the field of six teams was split into two groups of three... |
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| 1968 1968 African Cup of Nations The 1968 African Cup of Nations was the sixth edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Ethiopia. The field expanded to eight teams, split into two groups of four; the top two teams in each group advanced to the semifinals... |
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| 1970 1970 African Cup of Nations The 1970 African Cup of Nations was the seventh edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Sudan. Just like in 1968, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four... |
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 19721972 African Cup of Nations The 1972 African Cup of Nations was the eighth edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Cameroon, in the cities of Yaoundé and Douala. Just like in 1970, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four... |
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 19741974 African Cup of Nations The 1974 African Cup of Nations was the ninth edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Egypt.... |
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 19761976 African Cup of Nations The 1976 African Cup of Nations was the tenth edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Ethiopia. The format of competition changed from 1974: the field of eight teams was still split into two groups of four, but a final stage was introduced with... |
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| 1978 1978 African Cup of Nations The 1978 African Cup of Nations was the 11th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa . It was hosted by Accra and Kumasi, Ghana... |
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 19801980 African Cup of Nations The 1980 African Cup of Nations was the 12th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Nigeria. Just like in 1978, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four... |
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 19821982 African Cup of Nations The 1982 African Cup of Nations was the 13th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Libya. Just like in 1980, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four... |
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 19841984 African Cup of Nations The 1984 African Cup of Nations was the 14th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Côte d'Ivoire. Just like in 1982, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four... |
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| 1986 1986 African Cup of Nations The 1986 African Cup of Nations was the 15th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Egypt. Just like in 1984, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four... |
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 19881988 African Cup of Nations The 1988 African Cup of Nations was the 16th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Morocco, who replaced original host Zambia. Just like in 1986, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four. The tournament final was held in... |
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 19901990 African Cup of Nations -Semi-finals:-----Third Place Play-off:-Final:-Top scorers:4 goals Djamel Menad3 goals Djamel Amani Rashidi Yekini2 goals Rabah Madjer Chérif Oudjani Emmanuel Maboang Abdoulaye Traoré Webster Chikabala... |
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 19921992 African Cup of Nations The 1992 African Cup of Nations was the 18th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Senegal. The field expanded to twelve teams, split into four groups of three; the top two teams in each group advanced to the quarterfinals... |
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 19941994 African Cup of Nations -Group B:---------Group C:---------Group D:---------Knockout Stages:-Quarterfinals:-------------Semifinals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Scorers:5 goals Rashidi Yekini4 goals Joël Tiéhi... |
Did Not Qualify | |||||||
| 1996 1996 African Cup of Nations -Group B:---------------------Group C:------------ withdrew, so their three matches were canceled.*vs. , January 16, 1996*vs. , January 19, 1996*vs... |
Champions | 1st | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 2 |
 19981998 African Cup of Nations The 1998 African Cup of Nations in Burkina Faso was the 21st edition of the African Cup of Nations , the national football championship of Africa, administered by the Confederation of African Football . Just like in 1996, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four... |
Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 |
| 2000 2000 African Cup of Nations The 2000 African Cup of Nations was the 22nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa . It was co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, who jointly replaced Zimbabwe as host. Just like in 1998, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four... |
Third Place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 |
 2002 |
Quarter Final | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | |
| 2004 2004 African Cup of Nations The 2004 African Cup of Nations was the 24th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Tunisia. Just like in 2002, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four... |
Group Stage | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | |
| 2006 |
Group Stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | |
| 2008 |
Group Stage | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | |
 2010 |
Did Not Qualify | |||||||
  2012 |
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| 2013 |
Qualified | |||||||
| 2015 2015 Africa Cup of Nations The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to be the 30th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa . For the second time, the tournament is scheduled to be hosted by Morocco - the previous tournament held in Morocco was in 1988.-Intended Bids:-Bids shortlist:CAF... |
To Be Determined | |||||||
 20172017 Africa Cup of Nations The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to be the 31st edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa . The tournament is scheduled to be hosted by Libya, for the second time. The first was in 1982, when the home team were runners-up. The competition is likely to be... |
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| Total | Champions | 8/29 | 31 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 37 | 32 |
Technical team
Coaches since 1992
Stanley Tshabalala (1992) Ephraim MashabaEphraim Mashaba
Ephraim "Shakes" Mashaba is a South African football coach who currently coaches the South Africa national under-23 football team.He was previously the manager of the Swaziland national side, where he was appointed in May 2008...
(1992) and (2002–03) Augusto Palacios (1992–94) Clive Barker
Clive Barker (soccer)
Clive William Barker is a South African football coach. He guided the South African national team to their only African Nations Cup title in 1996.-Player:...
(1994–97) Jomo Sono
Jomo Sono
Ephraim Matsilela Sono is a South African soccer club owner and coach and was also a star soccer player....
(1998) and (2002) Philippe Troussier
Philippe Troussier
Philippe Troussier is a former French football player and now a manager.-Coaching career:Troussier is known as the "White Witch Doctor" for his success with African club teams such as Asec Abidjan of the Côte d'Ivoire and the national teams of Nigeria, South Africa and Burkina Faso...
(1998) Trott Moloto
Trott Moloto
Trott Nchilo Moloto is a South African football coach who currently manages Premier Soccer League club Mamelodi Sundowns. -Coaching career:...
(1998–00) Carlos Queiroz
Carlos Queiroz
Carlos Manuel Brito Leal Queiroz ComIH is a Portuguese football manager. He is currently the manager of the Iran national football team. A former manager of Real Madrid, and Portugal national football team, he has also twice been Alex Ferguson's assistant manager at English club Manchester...
(2000–02) April Phumo
April Phumo
April "Styles" Phumo was a South African football player and coach. He was nicknamed "Styles."-Playing career:He was a squad member of the South African national team prior to the 1966 FIFA World Cup; the team was banned from competing due to apartheid.-Club sides:Phumo managed Arsenal of...
(2004) Stuart Baxter
Stuart Baxter
Stuart Baxter is a Scottish football manager and former player. During his years as a professional player he played for a number of clubs in England, Scotland, Australia, Sweden and in the United States...
(2004–05) Ted Dumitru
Ted Dumitru
Theodore "Ted" Dumitru is the current Technical Director of Mamelodi Sundowns in the South African Premier Soccer League...
(2005–06) Carlos Alberto Parreira
Carlos Alberto Parreira
Carlos Alberto Gomes Parreira is a Brazilian former football manager. He managed Brazil to championships at the 1994 World Cup, the 2004 Copa América, and the 2005 Confederations Cup...
(2007–08) and (2009–10) Joel Santana
Joel Santana
Joel Natalino Santana is a Brazilian football head coach and former football player. He is the current head coach of Bahia.-Biography:...
(2008–09) Pitso Mosimane
Pitso Mosimane
Pitso John Mosimane is a South African football former player and coach and currently the manager of the South Africa national football team....
(2006) and (2010–)
Caretaker coach during 1998 African Cup of NationsCaretaker coach during 2002 FIFA World CupCaretaker coach for seven matches
Most capped players
Aaron MokoenaAaron Mokoena
Teboho Aaron Mokoena is a South African footballer who plays for and captains Football League Championship club Portsmouth and the South African national team.-Early career:...
became the first South African player to reach 100 caps on 31 May 2010, against Guatemala
Guatemala national football team
The Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
: to celebrate he wore kit numbered 100.
| Player | South Africa career | Caps (Goals) |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Mokoena Aaron Mokoena Teboho Aaron Mokoena is a South African footballer who plays for and captains Football League Championship club Portsmouth and the South African national team.-Early career:... |
1999–present | 105 (1) |
| Benni McCarthy Benni McCarthy Benedict Saul "Benni" McCarthy is a South African footballer who is currently contracted to Orlando Pirates in South Africa.McCarthy holds the record of international goals for a South African... |
1997–present | 79 (31) |
| Siyabonga Nomvete | 1999–present | 79 (16) |
| Shaun Bartlett Shaun Bartlett Shaun Bartlett is a retired South African football striker who last played for Bloemfontein Celtic.-Early life:... |
1995–2005 | 74 (29) |
| John Moshoeu John Moshoeu John "Shoes" Leshiba Moshoeu is a retired South African football player who last played for Alexandra United.-Career:... |
1992–2004 | 73 (8) |
| Delron Buckley Delron Buckley Delron Sebastian Buckley is a South African footballer playing for Karlsruher SC.-Club career:Buckley's soccer career began with his local team Butcherfille Rovers Durban, but when he was 17 years old he was signed by German club VfL Bochum... |
1999–2008 | 73 (10) |
| Lucas Radebe Lucas Radebe Lucas Valeriu Radebe is a former Leeds United and South African football player. During his career, Radebe was renowned for being a world-class centre back and a great ambassador for the sport.... |
1992–2003 | 70 (2) |
| Andre Arendse Andre Arendse Andre Leander Arendse is a retired South African football goalkeeper.He played mostly for Oxford United, Fulham FC , Cape Town Spurs, Santos, Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United. He is also a co-presenter with SuperSport, South Africa's sporting channel.He played for South Africa national... |
1995–2004 | 67 (0) |
| Sibusiso Zuma Sibusiso Zuma Sibusiso Wiseman Zuma is a South African professional football player playing for Supersport United in the Premier Soccer League.- Career :... |
1998–2008 | 67 (13) |
| Mark Fish Mark Fish Mark Anthony Fish is a retired South African footballer.-Club career:Fish started his career in his native South Africa under the guidance of renowned coach Steve Coetsee, playing for Arcadia Shepherds, an amateur team based at the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria... |
1993–2004 | 62 (2) |
Top goalscorers
| Player | South Africa career | Goals (Caps) |
|---|---|---|
| Benni McCarthy Benni McCarthy Benedict Saul "Benni" McCarthy is a South African footballer who is currently contracted to Orlando Pirates in South Africa.McCarthy holds the record of international goals for a South African... |
1997–present | 32 (79) |
| Shaun Bartlett Shaun Bartlett Shaun Bartlett is a retired South African football striker who last played for Bloemfontein Celtic.-Early life:... |
1995–2005 | 29 (74) |
| Katlego Mphela Katlego Mphela Katlego Mphela is a South African footballer who currently plays for Mamelodi Sundowns in the Premier Soccer League and South Africa.... |
2005–present | 22 (43) |
| Phil Masinga | 1992–2001 | 18 (58) |
| Siyabonga Nomvethe Siyabonga Nomvethe Siyabonga Eugene Nomvethe is a South African soccer player who has played in several European leagues, and now represents Moroka Swallows in the Premier Soccer League... |
1999–present | 16 (79) |
| Sibusiso Zuma Sibusiso Zuma Sibusiso Wiseman Zuma is a South African professional football player playing for Supersport United in the Premier Soccer League.- Career :... |
1998–2008 | 13 (67) |
| Teko Modise Teko Modise Teko Tsholofelo Modise is a South African footballer, who plays for Mamelodi Sundowns in the Premier Soccer League and for the South African national team.-Early life:... |
2007–present | 10 (58) |
| Delron Buckley Delron Buckley Delron Sebastian Buckley is a South African footballer playing for Karlsruher SC.-Club career:Buckley's soccer career began with his local team Butcherfille Rovers Durban, but when he was 17 years old he was signed by German club VfL Bochum... |
1998–2008 | 10 (72) |
| Bernard Parker Bernard Parker Bernard Parker is a South African professional association football midfielder/striker playing for Kaizer Chiefs.-Early life:Bernard Melvin Parker was born and grew up in Reiger Park, a township next to Boksburg... |
2007–present | 10 (40) |
| Doctor Khumalo Doctor Khumalo Theophilus Doctorson "Doctor" Khumalo is a retired South African soccer player. He is best known for being a star midfielder for Kaizer Chiefs as well as the South African national team, Bafana Bafana.-Career:... |
1992–2001 | 9 (50) |
Honours
- Africa Cup of Nations: 1
-
- 19961996 African Cup of Nations-Group B:---------------------Group C:------------ withdrew, so their three matches were canceled.*vs. , January 16, 1996*vs. , January 19, 1996*vs...
- COSAFA Cup: 2
- 2002, 2007, 2008
- FIFA Best Mover of the Year: 1
- 1996
- 1996
From 2008 onwards, SAFA have sent a 'Development XI'
South Africa national development football team
The South Africa national development football team, is a development football team, which represents South Africa and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. The team's main objective is to give international exposure to fringe...
to the COSAFA Cup. These matches thus do not not count towards the senior national team's records.