South Africa national soccer team

This article is about the men's football team. For the women's team, see South Africa women's national football team.

South Africa
Shirt badge/Association crest
NicknameBafana Bafana
AssociationSouth African Football Association (SAFA)
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Sub-confederationCOSAFA (Southern Africa)
Head coachHugo Broos
CaptainRonwen Williams
Most capsAaron Mokoena (107)
Top scorerBenni McCarthy (31)
Home stadiumVarious
FIFA codeRSA
First colours
FIFA ranking
Current 60 Increase 1 (19 January 2026)[1]
Highest16 (August 1996)
Lowest124 (December 1992)
First international
 Argentina 0–1 South Africa 
(Buenos Aires, Argentina; 9 July 1906)[2][3]
Biggest win
 Australia 0–8 South Africa 
(Adelaide, Australia; 17 September 1955)[4]
Biggest defeat
 South Africa 1–9 England 
(Cape Town, South Africa; 17 July 1920)[2]
World Cup
Appearances4 (first in 1998)
Best resultGroup stage (1998, 2002, 2010)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances12 (first in 1996)
Best resultChampions (1996)
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2005)
Best resultQuarter-finals (2005)
African Nations Championship
Appearances2 (first in 2011)
Best resultQuarter-finals (2011)
Confederations Cup
Appearances2 (first in 1997)
Best resultFourth place (2009)
Medal record
Africa Cup of Nations
Gold medal – first place 1996 South Africa Team
Silver medal – second place 1998 Burkina Faso Team
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Nigeria and Ghana Team
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Ivory Coast Team
Afro-Asian Cup of Nations
Gold medal – first place 1997 South Africa and Saudi Arabia Team
COSAFA Cup
Gold medal – first place 2002 Southern Africa Team
Gold medal – first place 2007 Southern Africa Team
Gold medal – first place 2008 South Africa Team
Gold medal – first place 2016 Namibia Team
Gold medal – first place 2021 South Africa Team
Silver medal – second place 2025 South Africa Team
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Southern Africa Team
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia Team
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Zambia Team
Bronze medal – third place 2023 South Africa Team
Websitesafa.net

The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in men's international football and is run by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. Nicknamed Bafana Bafana (The Boys in Zulu), the team plays at various stadiums around the country. The team is a member of both FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), is one of the most well-supported national sides in Africa,[7] and are recognised by their traditional yellow-green kits.

Having played their first match in 1906, South Africa returned to the world stage in 1992, after sixteen years of being banned from FIFA, and forty years of effective suspension due to the apartheid system.[8] South Africa have qualified for the FIFA World Cup three times: 1998, 2002 and 2026, in addition to qualifying as hosts of the 2010 tournament, becoming the first African nation to do so. 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 in the history of the FIFA World Cup to exit in the group stage, followed by Qatar in 2022.[9] As of January 2026, the team is ranked 60th in FIFA overall.

South Africa's most significant achievement came in 1996 when they hosted and won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). They reached the final again in 1998 but were defeated by Egypt.

History

Main article: Soccer in South Africa

Pre-1992

Football first arrived in South Africa through colonialism in the late nineteenth century, as the game was popular among British soldiers.[10] From the earliest days of the sport in South Africa until the end of apartheid, organised soccer 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 Indian Football Association (SAIFA), the South African Bantu Football Association (SABFA) and the South African Black Football Association (SACFA) were founded in 1903, 1933 and 1936 respectively.

The South African team that toured South America in 1906. They played 12 matches with only one defeat.

In 1903 the SAFA re-affiliated with the English Football Association after the Second Boer War between the British Empire and the Boer state. There was a plan to play a tournament held in Argentina, with South Africa and Fulham as guest teams, but it was not carried out. Nevertheless, South Africa traveled to South America in 1906 to play a series of friendly matches there.[11]

South Africa played a total of 12 matches in South America, winning 11 with 60 goals scored and only 7 conceded. Opponents included Belgrano A.C., the Argentina national team, a combined Liga Rosarina, Estudiantes (BA) and Quilmes.[12] The only team that defeated South Africa was Argentina's Alumni 1–0 at Sociedad Sportiva stadium in Buenos Aires, on 24 June, although the South Africans would take revenge on 22 July, defeating them 2–0.[13] The players were exclusively white, civil servants, government employees, bankers and civil engineers. Seven of the 15 players were born in South Africa and 8 originated from England and Scotland.[11]

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.[14] Thus the four nations (South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan) founded the Confederation of African Football in 1956,[14] 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 was disqualified from the competition, however, some sources say that they withdrew voluntarily.[15]

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 soccer in the country.[16]

Rous declared that if the suspension were not lifted, soccer 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.[17]

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.[18]

1992–2000

After spending nearly two decades in international isolation, the South African national team played its first game on 7 July 1992, beating Cameroon 1–0 at Kings Park in Durban.[19]

The team entered the 1994 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 with 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 finished second in the group, and failed to qualify for the next stage of qualifying.

In 1996, a mere five years after readmission, South Africa achieved their finest moment when they hosted and won the 1996 African Cup of Nations, in the process of reaching 16th in the FIFA rankings.[20]

The shock firing of AFCON-winning coach Clive Barker did little to slow momentum as they followed their 1996 success with a second-place finish at the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations behind Egypt under Jomo Sono. The team had earned their first appearance at the FIFA World Cup, qualifying for France '98. Under head coach Philippe Troussier, South Africa suffered a 3–0 defeat to hosts France in their World Cup debut, and drew against Denmark and Asian juggernauts Saudi Arabia 1–1 and 2–2 respectively on their way to an early exit.

2000s

Under newly hired coach Trott Moloto, South Africa started the decade off strongly, finishing third in the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations; despite this, another coaching change was made. Portuguese Carlos Queiroz was hired as the man to take South Africa to the 2002 FIFA World Cup. South Africa qualified for the 2002 AFCON and were eliminated in the quarter-finals against hosts Mali. In the run-up to the World Cup, in which South Africa had easily qualified as winners of Group E, Queiroz left his post as head coach amid increasing behind-the-scenes political wrangling.

Former legend Jomo Sono was brought back in a caretaker capacity to lead South Africa in Korea/Japan. Placed in Group B along with Spain, Paraguay and debutants Slovenia, South Africa earned a 2–2 draw against Paraguay in their opening game with a last-gasp penalty from Quinton Fortune and followed that up with their first-ever victory at the finals with a 1–0 win over Slovenia. South Africa headed into their final game against Spain second in the group and three points clear of Paraguay and Slovenia. In arguably the game of the group,[citation needed] in which five goals were scored inside the hour, South Africa twice came from a goal down in an agonising 3–2 defeat to the Spanish. In the other game, which kicked off at the same time, Paraguay found themselves beating Slovenia 3–1, with Paraguay's goal difference enough for them to surpass South Africa.


South Africa would go through 4 head coaches between the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups: Ephraim Mashaba (2002–2004), April Phumo (2004), Stuart Baxter (2004–2005), Ted Dumitru (2005–2006) and caretaker Pitso Mosimane (2006). None of them were able to match the success seen in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as South Africa failed to progress beyond the group stages in either the 2004 or 2006 Africa Cups of Nations, failing to register a single goal in the latter, with South Africa failing to qualify for the World Cup. After being placed in Group 2 for qualifying, South Africa missed the tournament in Germany by finishing behind Ghana.[citation needed]

South Africa hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup against Uruguay

Former World Cup winner and Brazil national team coach Carlos Alberto Parreira was approached for the job, and he accepted. He signed a R100 million contract covering four years. His term as manager started 1 January 2007 targeting the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which South Africa had been awarded the right to host. He resigned as coach in April 2008 due to family reasons. Joel Santana was hand-picked by Parreira to succeed him and he was signed to coach the team until 2010.[21]

The World Cup hosts failed to qualify for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, and Parreira would return in time for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup – also hosted by South Africa. The national team would see an improvement in performance, holding its own against eventual world champions Spain and perennial powerhouse Brazil, the latter requiring an 88th-minute goal to overcome South Africa in the semi-finals. South Africa would ultimately finish 4th, following a thrilling 3–2 loss to the Spanish in the third-place match.[citation needed]

As World Cup hosts, South Africa was placed in Group A, along with Mexico, Uruguay and 2006 runners-up France. South Africa played the first game, which opened the World Cup 2010 tournament with a 1–1 draw against Mexico after taking the lead through a long-range Siphiwe Tshabalala strike. A heavy 3–0 defeat in the second group game against Uruguay and a Mexican win over France left South Africa with a mountain to climb in order to progress beyond the group stage. Despite defeating France, elimination in the group stage made South Africa become the first host to fail to progress beyond the first round of the World Cup.

South Africa-France starting lineups at the 2010 World Cup

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Uruguay 3 2 1 0 4 0 +4 7 Advance to knockout stage
2  Mexico 3 1 1 1 3 2 +1 4
3  South Africa (H) 3 1 1 1 3 5 −2 4
4  France 3 0 1 2 1 4 −3 1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
(H) Hosts

Following the conclusion of the World Cup and the expiration of his contract, Carlos Alberto Parreira announced his retirement from coaching. As part of his contract, Parreira had also drawn up a plan of recommendations extending as far as soccer development at grassroots level that SAFA was encouraged to review in the hopes of reviving the fortunes of the national football team.[citation needed]

2010s

South Africa failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations finals after the rules were misread.[22] They ultimately played for and achieved a draw at home in Nelspruit 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 expense, and also at Sierra Leone's. They then celebrated at the end as if they had qualified, making it the second time they would 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 the head-to-head record with the South Africans erroneously thinking goal difference would be the primary tie-breaker.[23]

The SABC also announced that the team had qualified and the SAFA president Kirsten Nematandani then congratulated the team on TV before realisation dawned.[24] SAFA said they would appeal to CAF but the appeal was later withdrawn.[25][26]

South Africa continued to disappoint into 2012, opening the year with a lacklustre 0–0 draw away to 2012 Africa Cup of Nations co-hosts Equatorial Guinea. This would be the start of a run that would see Bafana Bafana rack up 6 successive draws to start the year. The run of draws included 1–1, 0–0 and 1–1 draws at home to African champions Zambia, Ghana and Senegal respectively in International Friendlies. Following a 1–1 draw at home to Ethiopia in a 2014 World Cup qualifier, head coach Pitso Mosimane was fired.[27] The draw increased South Africa's streak to 7 games without a win. Mosimane was replaced as head coach by Steve Komphela on an interim basis while SAFA interviewed potential candidates to fill the post on a permanent basis.

In his first game in charge as interim head coach, Komphela oversaw yet another uninspired performance in South Africa's second World Cup qualifier against Botswana as they drew yet again, extending their winless run to 8 games. Bafana Bafana finally tasted victory when they defeated Gabon 3–0 at home in a friendly, ending their winless streak.

Following the crisis in Libya throughout 2011, CAF made the decision to move the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations from Libya – who were the original hosts – to South Africa. Libya was then given the right to host the 2017 edition of the tournament, which was originally awarded to South Africa.[28] The 2013 hosts were seeded and drawn in Group A along with Angola, Morocco and tournament debutants Cape Verde.[29]

South Africa faced Group B runners-up Mali in the quarterfinals, being eliminated from the tournament 3–1 on penalties.

They received a First round bye when the qualifying process for the 2014 FIFA World Cup began on 30 July 2011. For the second round of the qualifying process, South Africa was placed in Pot 1 as a top-seeded nation for the draw from where they were drawn into Group A, along with neighbours Botswana, the Central African Republic and Ethiopia.

On 19 June 2013 it was reported in the South African press that Ethiopia had fielded an ineligible player against South Africa, who would possibly win 3–0 as a result.[30] Despite this, Ethiopia were never punished, and South Africa failed to qualify for the tournament.

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
 Ethiopia 6 4 1 1 8 6 +2 13 Third round — 2–1 1–0 2–0
 South Africa 6 3 2 1 12 5 +7 11 1–1 — 4–1 2–0
 Botswana 6 2 1 3 8 10 −2 7 3–0[a] 1–1 — 3–2
 Central African Republic 6 1 0 5 5 12 −7 3 1–2 0–3 2–0 —
Source: [31]
Notes:
  1. ^ Awarded

South Africa were eliminated in the group stage at the 2015 AFCON and failed to qualify for the tournament two years later. This, in addition to various controversies, disparaging remarks that Mashaba allegedly made about SAFA top officials, his supposedly arrogant nature and his ill-treatment of overseas-based stars, led to his suspension after leading South Africa to a 2–1 victory over Senegal in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

The national team in 2018

After being unable to reach the 2018 FIFA World Cup, South Africa qualified for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finishing second and undefeated, with a 2–0 away win over Nigeria.[32] They were grouped with Morocco, Ivory Coast and Namibia, and narrowly qualified to the knockout stage with only a single 1–0 win over Namibia, facing hosts Egypt.[33] The South Africans then pulled out the biggest upset in the tournament,[citation needed] knocking Egypt out in the round of 16 stage with a 1–0 win in Cairo.[34] Then, South Africa once again faced Nigeria in the quarter-finals, with the latter prevailing 2–1.[35]

2020s

Under Molefi Ntseki, South Africa failed to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. Molefi Ntseki was promptly sacked and the Hugo Broos was announced as his replacement.

Qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup began with South Africa in a group with Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Ethiopia. South Africa got off to a promising start, beating a weakened Ghana side 1–0 at home on Matchday 2 and going to the top of the group. South Africa remained at the top of the group until the final matchday when they lost 0–1 away to Ghana after a dubious penalty was awarded to Ghana in the first half. South Africa ultimately finished second to Ghana on goals scored, narrowly missing out on qualification for the final 10-team playoff round to qualify for the World Cup. South Africa qualified to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations after beating Liberia 2–1.[36]

The 2023 AFCON was held in January 2024 in Côte d'Ivoire, with Bafana Bafana reaching the semi-finals after being placed in Group E alongside Mali, Namibia and Tunisia. Despite being docked three points in qualifying after fielding an ineligible player, South Africa qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.[37]

On 5 December 2025, South Africa were drawn into Group A of the 2026 World Cup, and will play against Mexico, South Korea, and the winner of UEFA Path D. South Africa will open the tournament against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on 11 June 2026. This will be the second time that South Africa has played in the opening game of the tournament, the first being in 2010, when South Africa played against the same opponent, Mexico.

In December 2025, South Africa competed in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted by Morocco, and finished 2nd in Group B, after 2 wins (2–1 win against Angola and 3–2 win against Zimbabwe) and a 1–0 loss against Egypt, who would ultimately finish 4th at the tournament. South Africa had a short knockout journey, as the lost their Round of 16 tie against Cameroon, 2–1, and exited the tournament. As of 19 January 2026, South Africa gained one spot in the FIFA Men's Rankings, climbing to 60th. In their AFCON win against Angola, South Africa ended a 21-year wait for an opening match victory.

Team image

Nickname

"Bafana Bafana" is a nickname given to the national side by its fans. It is Nguni and translates literally as "the boys, the boys". Its actual meaning in Nguni language is, "Go boys! Go boys!", though others take the double use of "Bafana" to mean "all of the boys"---the team and management, as well as the spectators; togetherness, as in the African concept of ubuntu.

In July 1992, at Kings Park stadium in Durban, fans shouted "Bafana Bafana" [GO BOYS GO BOYS] when South Africa was on the verge of beating Cameroon and after the game. A group of three journalists, from South Africa newspaper The Sowetan, then began to use the name in print when referring to the team. The name was initially used only informally, as SAFA felt that it was not commercially viable, and that it was degrading to refer to a team of men as boys.[38]

Standton Woodrush Ltd applied to trademark the name in 1993. The trademark was granted but was for clothing only. In 1994, the team's technical sponsor at the time, Kappa, applied for the trademarks "Bafana" and "Bafana Bafana" in class 25. These 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 trademarks 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 trademark, with the second application going to the Appeal Court. The court again found that SAFA did not have the necessary grounds for ownership of the name in all classes. The court held that an intention to use a mark does not create a preference for registration, and that the proprietor of a trademark need not be its originator.

In 2011 SAFA paid R5 million to Standton Woodrush Ltd for rights to the name "Bafana Bafana", in class 25 and all other classes.[39]

Home stadiums

First game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa vs Mexico at Soccer City

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.

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 in Cape Town, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha, Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, Orlando Stadium in Soweto, and Mbombela Stadium in Mbombela.

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.

Kits and crest

Throughout the years, Bafana Bafana has employed multiple logos to represent the team. Notably, they often utilise two primary logos simultaneously on their jerseys.

Protea Emblem

The prominent Protea emblem, a national symbol of South Africa, particularly in the post-apartheid era, graces the right side of the jersey. This signifies the team's connection to the broader South African sporting landscape.

South African Football Association (SAFA) Badge

Located on the left side of the jersey, the SAFA badge typically features a star above it, commemorating the team's triumph in the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations.

Tertiary Emblem

A less frequently used yet noteworthy emblem was introduced approximately a decade ago. This distinctive logo depicts two stars embodied as footballers on the pitch, offering a symbolic representation of the team's aspirations and achievements.

Sponsors

When the team returned to international soccer in 1992, their kit was supplied by an Italian clothing company, Kappa. The team wore Kappa kits up to and during the 1998 FIFA World Cup.[40]

Following the 1998 World Cup, the kits for all South African national football teams were supplied by German sports apparel company Adidas. The sponsorship deal is believed to be worth Rs 14 million per year.[41] Their contract with the South African Football Association ran until the end of 2010.

On 7 June 2011, SAFA announced Puma as its new technical sponsor and unveiled Bafana Bafana's new kit.[42][43]

In October 2013, ABSA announced its resignation as a sponsor of SAFA and the South African national team as of the end of their contract in December 2013. This was followed a week later by the announcement from Puma, that they too would step down as technical sponsors of Bafana Bafana.[44]

From March 2014 until June 2020, the official kit provider was the American sporting apparel company Nike from the international friendly match against Brazil.

From June 2020 to early 2026, the official kit provider was French sporting apparel company Le Coq Sportif.[45]

The team now has one main sponsor, Castle Lager, a brand owned by South African Breweries. Smaller sponsors and suppliers include Energade and Tsogo Sun Hotels.[46]

In 2022, Banxso became the official online trading partner for the team.[47]

In 2026, Adidas was signed as the next kit provider for the South African National Team just in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, returning for the first time since the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Kit provider Period
Italy Kappa 1992–1998
Germany Adidas 1999–2010
GermanyPuma 2011–2013
United States Nike 2014–2020
FranceLe Coq Sportif 2020–2025
Germany Adidas 2026–present

Media coverage

The South African Football Association owns the rights to national team matches played in South Africa. SAFA currently has 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,[48] and sometimes not shown matches.[49]

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 by e.tv.[50]

Controversy in 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

On 21 March 2025, South Africa played Lesotho in a 2026 CAF FIFA World Cup qualifier match. It was in this match that the coaching staff made the mistake of fielding an ineligible player, in Teboho Mokoena. The team were docked 3 points (the equivalent of points that were received after their win against Lesotho) and SAFA was fined over R216 000, while Mokoena was issued with a warning. SAFA could've appealed the decision within 10 days, but didn't. This caused major uproar by the supporters of the team, with many calling for head coach Hugo Broos' resignation should the 3 points point deduction end their dreams of qualification, which it didn't.

Results and fixtures

Main article: South Africa national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last twelve months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2025

21 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification South Africa  0–3[a]  Lesotho Polokwane, South Africa
18:00 UTC+2
Report Stadium: Peter Mokaba Stadium
25 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Benin  0–2  South Africa Abidjan, Ivory Cost
18:00 UTC+2 Report
Stadium: Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium
6 June Friendly South Africa  0–0  Tanzania Polokwane, South Africa
19:30 UTC+2 Report Stadium: Peter Mokaba Stadium
10 June Friendly South Africa  2–0  Mozambique Polokwane, South Africa
19:30 UTC+2
Report Stadium: Peter Mokaba Stadium
5 September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Lesotho  0–3  South Africa Bloemfontein, South Africa
18:00 UTC+2 Report
Stadium: Free State Stadium
Referee: Dickens Mimisa (Kenya)
9 September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification South Africa  1–1  Nigeria Bloemfontein, South Africa
18:00 UTC+2 Troost-Ekong 25' (o.g.) Report Bassey 44' Stadium: Free State Stadium
Referee: Pierre Atcho (Gabon)
10 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Zimbabwe  0–0  South Africa Durban, South Africa
Stadium: Moses Mabhida Stadium
14 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification South Africa  3–0  Rwanda Mbombela, South Africa
Mbatha 5'

Appollis 26'

Makgopa 72'		 Stadium: Mbombela Stadium
15 November Friendly South Africa  3–1  Zambia Gqeberha, South Africa
15:00 UTC+2
Report
Stadium: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Referee: Naftal Negongo (Namibia)
16 December Friendly South Africa  1–0 Ghana B Soweto, South Africa
16:00 UTC+2 Mbule 58' Report Stadium: Dobsonville Stadium
22 December 2025 AFCON Group B South Africa  2–1  Angola Marrakesh, Morocco
18:00 UTC+1
Report Show 35' Stadium: Marrakesh Stadium
Attendance: 4,013
Referee: Mahmood Ismail (Sudan)
26 December 2025 AFCON Group B Egypt  1–0  South Africa Agadir, Morocco
16:00 UTC+1
Report Stadium: Adrar Stadium
Attendance: 40,219
Referee: Pacifique Ndabihawenimana (Burundi)
29 December 2025 AFCON Group B Zimbabwe  2–3  South Africa Marrakesh, Morocco
17:00 UTC+1
Report
Stadium: Marrakesh Stadium
Attendance: 9,235
Referee: Mustapha Kech Chaf (Morocco)

2026

4 January 2025 AFCON Round of 16 South Africa  1–2  Cameroon Rabat, Morocco
20:00 UTC+1
Report
Stadium: Al Medina Stadium
Attendance: 14,127
Referee: Peter Waweru (Kenya)
27 March Friendly South Africa  v  Panama Durban, South Africa
--:-- UTC+2 Stadium: Moses Mabhida Stadium
31 March Friendly South Africa  v  Panama Cape Town, South Africa
--:-- UTC+2 Stadium: Cape Town Stadium
11 June 2026 FIFA World Cup Mexico  v  South Africa Mexico City, Mexico
13:00 UTC−6 Report Stadium: Estadio Azteca
18 June 2026 FIFA World Cup UEFA Path D winner v  South Africa Atlanta, Georgia, United States
12:00 UTC−4 Report Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
24 June 2026 FIFA World Cup South Africa  v  South Korea Guadalupe, Mexico
19:00 UTC−6 Report Stadium: Estadio BBVA

Coaching staff

Position Staff
Team Manager South Africa Vincent Tseka
Head coach Belgium Hugo Broos
Assistant Coach South Africa Helman Mkhalele
Goalkeeper Coach South Africa Grant Johnson
Team Organiser South Africa David Molwantwa

Coaching history

Caretaker managers are listed in italics.

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up to the preliminary squad for the friendly matches against Panama (twice) on 27 and 31 March 2026.[52]

Caps and goals correct as of 4 January 2026, after the match against Cameroon

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Ronwen Williams (captain) (1992-01-21) 21 January 1992 (age 34) 60 0 South African Football Association Mamelodi Sundowns
1GK Ricardo Goss (1994-04-02) 2 April 1994 (age 31) 4 0 South African Football Association Siwelele
1GK Sipho Chaine (1996-12-14) 14 December 1996 (age 29) 3 0 South African Football Association Orlando Pirates
1GK Renaldo Leaner (1998-02-12) 12 February 1998 (age 28) 2 0 South African Football Association Sekhukhune United
1GK Darren Johnson (1997-02-22) 22 February 1997 (age 29) 0 0 South African Football Association AmaZulu
2DF Aubrey Modiba (third captain) (1995-07-22) 22 July 1995 (age 30) 42 3 South African Football Association Mamelodi Sundowns
2DF Khuliso Mudau (1995-04-26) 26 April 1995 (age 30) 30 1 South African Football Association Mamelodi Sundowns
2DF Nkosinathi Sibisi (1995-09-22) 22 September 1995 (age 30) 19 0 South African Football Association Orlando Pirates
2DF Mbekezeli Mbokazi (2005-09-19) 19 September 2005 (age 20) 9 0 United States Soccer Federation Chicago Fire FC
2DF Ime Okon (2004-02-20) 20 February 2004 (age 22) 5 1 German Football Association Hannover 96
2DF Samukele Kabini (2004-03-15) 15 March 2004 (age 21) 4 0 Norwegian Football Federation Molde
2DF Khulumani Ndamane (2004-02-05) 5 February 2004 (age 22) 4 0 South African Football Association Mamelodi Sundowns
2DF Deano van Rooyen (1996-11-24) 24 November 1996 (age 29) 2 0 South African Football Association Orlando Pirates
2DF Thabang Matuludi (1999-01-14) 14 January 1999 (age 27) 1 0 South African Football Association Polokwane City
2DF Tylon Smith (2005-05-09) 9 May 2005 (age 20) 1 0 The Football Association Queens Park Rangers
2DF Vuyo Letlapa (2003-08-08) 8 August 2003 (age 22) 0 0 South African Football Association Sekhukhune United
2DF Olwethu Makhanya (2004-04-30) 30 April 2004 (age 21) 0 0 United States Soccer Federation Philadelphia Union
3MF Teboho Mokoena (vice-captain) (1997-01-24) 24 January 1997 (age 29) 49 9 South African Football Association Mamelodi Sundowns
3MF Sphephelo Sithole (1999-03-03) 3 March 1999 (age 27) 25 1 Portuguese Football Federation Tondela
4FW Bongokuhle Hlongwane (2000-06-20) 20 June 2000 (age 25) 18 4 United States Soccer Federation Minnesota United FC
3MF Thalente Mbatha (2000-03-06) 6 March 2000 (age 26) 12 3 South African Football Association Orlando Pirates
3MF Luke Le Roux (2000-03-10) 10 March 2000 (age 26) 9 0 The Football Association Portsmouth
3MF Jayden Adams (2001-05-05) 5 May 2001 (age 24) 2 0 South African Football Association Mamelodi Sundowns
3MF Ndamulelo Maphangule (1999-10-22) 22 October 1999 (age 26) 1 0 South African Football Association Polokwane City
3MF Mthetheleli Mthiyane (2001-01-21) 21 January 2001 (age 25) 0 0 South African Football Association Stellenbosch
4FW Themba Zwane (1989-08-03) 3 August 1989 (age 36) 51 12 South African Football Association Mamelodi Sundowns
4FW Thapelo Morena (1993-08-06) 6 August 1993 (age 32) 33 3 South African Football Association Mamelodi Sundowns
4FW Lyle Foster (2000-05-09) 9 May 2000 (age 25) 24 10 The Football Association Burnley
4FW Evidence Makgopa (2000-06-05) 5 June 2000 (age 25) 24 6 South African Football Association Orlando Pirates
4FW Oswin Appollis (2001-08-25) 25 August 2001 (age 24) 23 7 South African Football Association Orlando Pirates
4FW Iqraam Rayners (1995-12-19) 19 December 1995 (age 30) 13 4 South African Football Association Mamelodi Sundowns
4FW Relebohile Mofokeng (2004-10-23) 23 October 2004 (age 21) 10 0 South African Football Association Orlando Pirates
4FW Mohau Nkota (2004-11-09) 9 November 2004 (age 21) 9 2 Saudi Arabian Football Federation Al-Ettifaq
4FW Thapelo Maseko (2003-11-11) 11 November 2003 (age 22) 8 1 Cyprus Football Association AEL Limassol
4FW Tshepang Moremi (2000-10-02) 2 October 2000 (age 25) 7 1 South African Football Association Orlando Pirates
4FW Patrick Maswanganyi (1998-04-04) 4 April 1998 (age 27) 5 2 South African Football Association Orlando Pirates
4FW Kamogelo Sebelebele (2002-07-21) 21 July 2002 (age 23) 2 0 South African Football Association Orlando Pirates
4FW Yanela Mbuthuma (2002-02-23) 23 February 2002 (age 24) 1 0 South African Football Association Orlando Pirates

Recent call-ups

The following players were called up to a squad in the last 12 months. Caps and goals relate to the time at which the matches were played.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Brandon Petersen (1994-09-22) 22 September 1994 (age 31) 0 0 South Africa Kaizer Chiefs 2025 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Siyabonga Ngezana (1997-07-15) 15 July 1997 (age 28) 11 0 Romania FCSB 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
DF Thabo Moloisane (1999-02-24) 24 February 1999 (age 27) 2 0 South Africa Stellenbosch 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
DF Fawaaz Basadien (1996-12-23) 23 December 1996 (age 29) 4 0 South Africa Mamelodi Sundowns 2025 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Malibongwe Khoza (2004-03-16) 16 March 2004 (age 21) 4 0 South Africa Mamelodi Sundowns 2025 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Thabiso Monyane (2000-04-30) 30 April 2000 (age 25) 2 0 South Africa Kaizer Chiefs 2025 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Keegan Allan (2000-08-07) 7 August 2000 (age 25) 0 0 South Africa AmaZulu 2025 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Bradley Cross (2001-01-30) 30 January 2001 (age 25) 0 0 South Africa Kaizer Chiefs 2025 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Fezile Gcaba (1999-03-03) 3 March 1999 (age 27) 0 0 South Africa Durban City 2025 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Nyiko Mobbie (1994-09-11) 11 September 1994 (age 31) 30 0 South Africa Siwelele v.  Nigeria, 9 September 2025
DF Zuko Mdunyelwa (1999-06-06) 6 June 1999 (age 26) 1 0 South Africa Mamelodi Sundowns v.  Nigeria, 9 September 2025
DF Grant Kekana (1992-10-31) 31 October 1992 (age 33) 16 0 South Africa Mamelodi Sundowns v.  Benin, 25 March 2025
MF Bathusi Aubaas (1998-07-11) 11 July 1998 (age 27) 16 1 South Africa Mamelodi Sundowns 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
MF Sipho Mbule (1998-03-22) 22 March 1998 (age 27) 8 0 South Africa Orlando Pirates 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
MF Mduduzi Shabalala (2004-01-20) 20 January 2004 (age 22) 1 0 South Africa Kaizer Chiefs 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
MF Sphesihle Maduna (1999-12-26) 26 December 1999 (age 26) 0 0 South Africa TS Galaxy 2025 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Siphesihle Mkhize (1999-02-05) 5 February 1999 (age 27) 0 0 South Africa Sekhukhune United 2025 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Masindi Nemtajela (2001-08-23) 23 August 2001 (age 24) 0 0 South Africa Orlando Pirates 2025 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Sinoxolo Kwayiba (2000-02-15) 15 February 2000 (age 26) 5 1 South Africa Chippa United v.  Mozambique, 10 June 2025
MF Simphiwe Selepe (2005-02-19) 19 February 2005 (age 21) 2 0 South Africa Orlando Pirates v.  Mozambique, 10 June 2025
FW Elias Mokwana (1999-09-08) 8 September 1999 (age 26) 11 2 Saudi Arabia Al-Hazem 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
FW Shandre Campbell (2005-07-15) 15 July 2005 (age 20) 0 0 Belgium Club Brugge 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
FW Mihlali Mayambela (1996-08-25) 25 August 1996 (age 29) 16 2 Cyprus Omonia 2025 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Ashley Cupido (2001-05-05) 5 May 2001 (age 24) 0 0 South Africa Stellenbosch 2025 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Puso Dithejane (2004-07-24) 24 July 2004 (age 21) 0 0 United States Chicago Fire 2025 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Keletso Makgalwa (1997-01-03) 3 January 1997 (age 29) 0 0 South Africa Sekhukhune United 2025 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Percy Tau (1994-05-13) 13 May 1994 (age 31) 46 15 Vietnam Thép Xanh Nam Định v.  Benin, 25 March 2025
Notes
  • INJ = Withdrew due to injury
  • PRE = Preliminary squad
  • RET = Retired from the national team
  • SUS = Serving suspension
  • WD = Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

Past squads

Records

As of 15 October 2024[53][54]
Players in bold are still active with South Africa.

Most appearances

Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Aaron Mokoena 107 1 1999–2010
2 Itumeleng Khune 91 0 2008–2020
3 Siphiwe Tshabalala 90 12 2006–2017
4 Siyabonga Nomvethe 82 16 1999–2012
5 Benni McCarthy 81 31 1997–2012
6 Shaun Bartlett 74 29 1995–2005
7 John Moshoeu 73 8 1992–2004
Bernard Parker 73 23 2007–2015
9 Delron Buckley 72 10 1999–2008
10 Lucas Radebe 70 2 1992–2003

Top goalscorers

Benni McCarthy is South Africa's top scorer with 31 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Benni McCarthy 31 81 0.39 1997–2012
2 Shaun Bartlett 29 74 0.38 1995–2005
3 Katlego Mphela 23 53 0.43 2005–2013
Bernard Parker 23 73 0.32 2007–2015
5 Phil Masinga 18 58 0.33 1992–2001
6 Percy Tau 16 52 0.31 2015–present
Siyabonga Nomvethe 16 82 0.2 1999–2012
8 Tokelo Rantie 13 41 0.32 2012–2017
Sibusiso Zuma 13 67 0.19 1998–2008
10 Themba Zwane 12 51 0.24 2014–present
Siphiwe Tshabalala 12 89 0.13 2006–2017

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

Main article: South Africa at the FIFA World Cup

Although South Africa has made three appearances in the World Cup, they have not made it past the first round. The team's first attempt to qualify was for the 1994 World Cup, two years after they had been readmitted to FIFA. Their first appearance was in France 1998. 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 tournament. Korea/Japan 2002 saw them eliminated in the group stage again after 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.

Hosting the 2010 World Cup, they beat France 2–1 and drew 1–1 to Mexico, but lost 0–3 to Uruguay. They failed to advance to the round of 16, and became the first host country to fail to advance past the group stage.[55]

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 to Chile 1962 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
England 1966 Not admitted[56] Not admitted
Mexico 1970 Banned Banned
Germany 1974
Argentina 1978
Spain 1982
Mexico 1986
Italy 1990
United States 1994 Did not qualify 4 2 1 1 2 4
France 1998 Group stage 24th 3 0 2 1 3 6 8 6 1 1 11 3
South Korea Japan 2002 17th 3 1 1 1 5 5 8 7 1 0 13 3
Germany 2006 Did not qualify 10 5 1 4 12 14
South Africa 2010 Group stage 20th 3 1 1 1 3 5 6 2 1 3 5 5
Brazil 2014 Did not qualify 6 3 2 1 12 5
Russia 2018 8 3 1 4 11 11
Qatar 2022 6 4 1 1 6 2
Canada Mexico United States 2026 Qualified 10 5 3 2 14 9
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Group stage 4/15 9 2 4 3 11 16 66 37 12 17 87 56

FIFA Confederations Cup

Main article: South Africa at the FIFA Confederations Cup
FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
Saudi Arabia 1992 Banned
Saudi Arabia 1995 Did not qualify
Saudi Arabia 1997 Group stage 8th 3 0 1 2 5 7 Squad
Mexico 1999 Did not qualify
South Korea Japan 2001
France 2003
Germany 2005
South Africa 2009 Fourth place 4th 5 1 1 3 4 6 Squad
Brazil 2013 Did not qualify
Russia 2017
Total Fourth place 2/10 8 1 2 5 9 13 —

Africa Cup of Nations

Main article: South Africa at the Africa Cup of Nations
Africa Cup of Nations record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Sudan 1957 Qualified, later disqualified due to apartheid Qualified, later disqualified
United Arab Republic 1959 Banned due to apartheid Banned due to apartheid
Ethiopia 1962
Ghana 1963
Tunisia 1965
Ethiopia 1968
Sudan 1970
Cameroon 1972
Egypt 1974
Ethiopia 1976
Ghana 1978
Nigeria 1980
Libya 1982
Ivory Coast 1984
Egypt 1986
Morocco 1988
Algeria 1990
Senegal 1992
Tunisia 1994 Did not qualify 6 1 2 3 5 10
South Africa 1996 Champions 1st 6 5 0 1 11 2 Qualified as hosts
Burkina Faso 1998 Runners-up 2nd 6 3 2 1 9 6 Qualified as defending champions
Ghana Nigeria 2000 Third place 3rd 6 3 2 1 8 6 6 3 2 1 10 5
Mali 2002 Quarter-finals 6th 4 1 2 1 3 3 6 3 3 0 9 4
Tunisia 2004 Group stage 11th 3 1 1 1 3 5 4 3 1 0 6 1
Egypt 2006 16th 3 0 0 3 0 5 10 5 1 4 12 14
Ghana 2008 13th 3 0 2 1 3 5 6 3 2 1 10 4
Angola 2010 Did not qualify 6 2 1 3 5 5
Equatorial Guinea Gabon 2012 6 2 3 1 4 2
South Africa 2013 Quarter-finals 6th 4 1 3 0 5 3 Qualified as hosts
Equatorial Guinea 2015 Group stage 15th 3 0 1 2 3 6 6 3 3 0 9 3
Gabon 2017 Did not qualify 6 1 4 1 8 6
Egypt 2019 Quarter-finals 7th 5 2 0 3 3 4 6 3 3 0 11 2
Cameroon 2021 Did not qualify 6 3 1 2 8 7
Ivory Coast 2023 Third place 3rd 7 2 4 1 7 3 4 3 1 0 7 3
Morocco 2025 Round of 16 10th 4 2 0 2 6 6 6 4 2 0 16 5
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2027 To be determined To be determined
2029
Total 1 Title 12/35 54 20 17 17 61 54 84 39 29 16 120 71
*Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.

Head-to-head record

As of 29 December 2025 after match against Zimbabwe[57]

Opponent GP W D L GF GA GD win %
 Algeria 5 1 3 1 4 5 −1 25.00%
 Andorra 1 0 1 0 1 1 −0 0.00%
 Angola 16 9 6 1 20 11 +9 56.25%
 Argentina 2 0 1 1 1 3 −2 0.00%
 Australia 21 11 4 6 47 27 +20 52.38%
 Benin 3 3 0 0 6 1 +5 100.00%
 Bolivia 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 0.00%
 Botswana 17 12 6 0 28 9 +19 70.58%
 Brazil 5 0 0 5 3 12 −9 0.00%
 Bulgaria 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0.00%
 Burkina Faso 9 5 3 1 14 6 +8 55.56%
 Burundi 2 2 0 0 4 0 +4 100.00%
 Cameroon 9 3 5 1 14 10 +4 33.33%
 Canada 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 100.00%
 Cape Verde 6 2 2 2 6 6 0 33.33%
 Central African Republic 2 2 0 0 5 0 +5 100.00%
 Chad 2 2 0 0 7 0 +7 100.00%
 Chile 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2 0.00%
 Colombia 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 100.00%
 Congo 12 6 5 1 14 5 +9 50.00%
 Comoros 3 2 1 0 4 1 +3 66.67%
 Costa Rica 2 2 0 0 3 1 +2 100.00%
 Czech Republic 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 0.00%
 Denmark 3 1 2 0 3 2 +1 33.33%
 DR Congo[b] 8 5 2 1 9 5 +4 71.43%
 Ecuador 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.00%
 Egypt 13 7 1 5 11 9 +2 53.84%
 England 2 0 0 2 2 4 −2 0.00%
 Equatorial Guinea 3 2 1 0 5 1 +4 66.67%
 Eswatini 12 10 2 0 29 7 +22 83.33%
 Ethiopia 4 2 1 1 5 4 −1 50.00%
 France 4 1 1 3 3 11 −8 25.00%
 Gabon 4 3 0 1 10 3 +7 75.00%
 Gambia 2 1 1 0 4 0 0 50.00%
 Georgia 1 0 0 1 1 4 −3 0.00%
 Germany 4 0 1 3 2 9 −7 0.00%
 Ghana 15 5 5 5 13 13 0 35.71
Ghana B 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100.00%
 Guatemala 2 1 1 0 6 1 +5 35.71
 Guinea 3 0 1 2 0 3 −3 0.00%
 Guinea-Bissau 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2 100.00%
 Honduras 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0.00%
 Iceland 3 0 1 2 2 6 −4 0.00%
 Indonesia 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 0.00%
 Iraq 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.00%
 Israel 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 100.00%
 Italy 2 0 0 2 0 3 −3 0.00%
 Ivory Coast 8 2 5 1 7 5 +2 25.00
 Jamaica 5 1 4 0 6 4 +2 20.00%
 Japan 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.00%
 Kenya 4 3 1 0 6 2 +4 75.00%
 Lesotho 15 9 4 2 27 10 +17 60.00
 Liberia 4 2 2 0 7 5 +2 50.00%
 Libya 2 1 1 0 2 1 +1 50.00%
 Madagascar 6 4 2 0 5 0 +5 66.67%
 Malawi 14 9 4 1 20 5 +15 64.28%
 Mali 6 2 2 2 7 7 0 40.00%
 Malta 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100.00%
 Mauritania 2 0 1 1 2 4 −2 0.00%
 Mauritius 14 10 3 1 24 5 +19 71.42%
 Mexico 4 1 1 2 5 10 −5 25.00%
 Morocco 9 4 3 2 14 10 +4 37.50%
 Mozambique 9 7 2 0 19 6 +13 77.78%
 Namibia 12 7 4 1 22 9 +9 54.54%
 Netherlands 2 0 0 2 1 4 −3 0.00%
 New Zealand 6 5 1 0 26 9 +17 83.00%
 Niger 2 1 0 1 3 2 +1 50.00%
 Nigeria 18 2 8 8 13 28 −15 11.11%
 North Korea 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.00%
 Northern Ireland 1 0 0 1 1 2 −1 0.00%
 Norway 3 1 0 2 2 3 −1 33.33%
 Panama 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0.00%
 Paraguay 4 1 3 0 7 4 +3 25.00%
 Poland 2 1 0 1 1 1 0 50.00%
 Portugal 2 0 0 2 1 5 −4 0.00%
 Republic of Ireland 2 0 0 2 1 3 −2 0.00%
 Rwanda 2 1 0 1 3 2 +1 50.00%
 Saudi Arabia 4 1 2 1 3 3 0 25.00%
 Scotland 2 1 0 1 2 1 +1 50.00%
 Senegal 10 2 4 4 10 13 −3 20.00%
 Serbia 1 0 0 1 1 3 −2 0.00%
 Seychelles 3 2 1 0 9 0 +9 66.67%
 Sierra Leone 4 1 3 1 4 1 −1 0.00%
 Slovenia 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100.00%
 São Tomé and Príncipe 2 2 0 0 6 2 +4 100.00%
 South Sudan 2 2 0 0 6 2 +4 100.00%
 Spain 4 1 0 3 5 8 −3 25.00%
 Sudan 4 3 0 1 6 1 +5 100.00%
 Sweden 2 1 0 1 1 3 −2 50.00%
 Tanzania 4 1 2 1 2 2 0 25.00%
 Thailand 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 100.00%
 Togo 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0%
 Trinidad and Tobago 2 1 0 1 2 3 −1 50.00%
 Tunisia 7 2 2 3 7 9 −2 28.57%
 Turkey 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 100.00%
 Uganda 7 5 2 0 13 8 +5 71.42%
 United Arab Emirates 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 0.00%
 Uruguay 3 0 1 2 3 7 −4 0.00%
 United States 3 0 0 3 0 6 −6 0.00%
 Zambia 24 7 9 8 25 26 −1 29.17%
 Zimbabwe 18 9 3 6 30 18 +12 50.00%
Total 454 208 133 113 630 430 +200 45.81%
  1. ^ The South Africa v Lesotho match originally finished as a 2–0 win for South Africa. However, on 29 September 2025, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee awarded the match as a 3–0 win to Lesotho as South Africa fielded the ineligible player Teboho Mokoena. The South African Football Association were also fined CHF 10,000.[51]
  2. ^ Includes matches against Zaire.

By Federation

Name Pld Win Draw Loss GF GA GD Win%
AFC 31 12 10 9 54 31 +23 40.00%
CAF 348 176 101 63 484 269 +215 51.76%
CONCACAF 20 6 8 6 26 27 −1 30.00%
CONMEBOL 19 3 6 10 18 30 −12 15.78%
OFC 6 5 1 0 26 9 +17 83.00%
UEFA 46 10 7 29 37 71 −34 21.73%
Total 470 215 140 115 648 437 +211 45.74%

Honours

Intercontinental

Continental

Regional

Friendly

Awards

Summary

Competition 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Total
CAF African Cup of Nations 1 1 2 4
Afro-Asian Cup of Nations 1 0 0 1
Total 2 1 2 5

Notes

References

  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 19 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  2. ^ a b "South Africa". Elo Ratings. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Argentina v South Africa, 09 July 1906". International Football History and Statistics. Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  4. ^ "All Bafana Bafana Matches" (PDF). South Africa FA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  5. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 19 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  6. ^ The Elo ratings website Archived 23 July 2011 at Wikiwix lists 21 as the highest reached position, though after 23 (too few?) matches between 1947 and 1955, almost all with Australia and New Zealand, it had reached 9th place .
  7. ^ Mahlangu, H. B.; Dlodlo, N.; Mokoena, B. A. (June 2013). "Supporters' perceived brand equity of the Bafana Bafana National Football Team of South Africa | African Journal for Physical Health Education, Recreation and Dance". African Journal for Physical Health Education, Recreation and Dance. 19 (2): 324–335. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  8. ^ "From apartheid to the World Cup – four decades in the sporting life of South Africa". FIFA. 27 October 2004. Archived from the original on 10 February 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  9. ^ "England slip to worst Cup ranking". BBC News. 13 July 2010. Archived from the original on 29 December 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  10. ^ Goldblatt, David (2007). The Ball is Round: A Global History of Football. London: Penguin. pp. 90–91. ISBN 978-0-14-101582-8.
  11. ^ a b Before The 'D'...Association Football around the world, 1863–1937 Archived 1 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine, page 4
  12. ^ Gira Sudamericana de Sudáfrica 1906 Archived 21 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine on Fútbol Nostalgia website
  13. ^ Historia del Fútbol Amateur en la Argentina by Jorge Iwanczuk. Publisher: Autores Editores (1992) – ISBN 9504343848
  14. ^ a b Goldblatt, The Ball is Round: A Global History of Football, p493
  15. ^ "Invasions, drop-outs and a bye to the final: admin mayhem in the first Africa Cup of Nations". FourFourTwo. 17 January 2015. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  16. ^ Darby, Paul (1 April 2008). "Stanley Rous's 'own goal': football politics, South Africa and the Contest for the FIFA presidency in 1974". Soccer & Society. 9 (2): 259–272. doi:10.1080/14660970701811172. ISSN 1466-0970. S2CID 144492147.
  17. ^ "Welcome back: Today in history: FIFA lifts ban on South Africa".
  18. ^ "Bring Back the Sports Boycott". Newsweek. 20 June 2010. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  19. ^ "South Africa marks 30 years since return from footballing wilderness". BBC Sport. 7 July 2022.
  20. ^ Hawkey, Ian (24 June 2019). "'Mandela brought extra pressure': The story of South Africa's Afcon triumph". The Guardian.
  21. ^ CNN[dead link]
  22. ^ "SA football stands embarrassed" Archived 13 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine Independent Online. South Africa 10 October 2011.
  23. ^ "Bemused Bafana 'in the dark' over procedure" Archived 12 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Independent Online. South Africa 11 September 2007.
  24. ^ "South Africa miss out on Africa Cup of Nations after misreading rules" Archived 5 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Reuters/The Guardian. 9 October 2011.
  25. ^ "South Africa appeal to CAF following Africa Cup of Nations mix-up" Archived 5 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Reuters/The Guardian. 10 October 2011.
  26. ^ "SAFA withdraw AFCON appeal" Archived 4 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine. football365.co.za. 19 October 2011.
  27. ^ Tiyani Mabasa (5 June 2012). "Pitso gets the boot". kickoff.com. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
  28. ^ "South Africa replace Libya as 2013 Nations Cup hosts". BBC Sport. 28 September 2011. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
  29. ^ "2013 Africa Cup of Nations draw: Nigeria to meet champions Zambia, Ghana face Mali". goal.com. 24 October 2012. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  30. ^ "Bafana on the brink as Ethiopia may lose more points". sportslive.co.za. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  31. ^ "FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) 2014, football - table and standings". soccer365. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  32. ^ "As it happened: Nigeria 0–2 Bafana Bafana". Sport. 10 June 2017. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  33. ^ "Bafana scrape into AFCON knockouts, face Egypt in last 16". Sport. 3 July 2019. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  34. ^ "Africa Cup of Nations: South Africa's late winner stuns hosts Egypt in Cairo". BBC Sport. 6 July 2019. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  35. ^ "Nigeria 6–1 Bafana – last-gasp goal as South Africa crash out of AFCON 2019". The South African. 10 July 2019. Archived from the original on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  36. ^ Malesele, Thabiso (19 August 2021). "Hugo Broos names the Bafana Bafana team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers". SABC News. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  37. ^ "South Africa clinch World Cup spot; Nigeria into playoff". ESPN. 14 October 2025. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  38. ^ "Bafana Bafana – Who Owns This Nickname for the South African Soccer Team?". Spoor.com. 2 June 2003. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  39. ^ "SAFA settle on R5m fee for Bafana name". MTN Football. 25 June 2011. Archived from the original on 28 October 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  40. ^ "Bafana to be decked out in Puma". The Sowetan. Archived from the original on 20 November 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
  41. ^ "Companies want more bang for their sponsorship buck". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 11 December 2010. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  42. ^ "New Sponsor and kit". Eyewitness News. Archived from the original on 15 August 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  43. ^ "South Africa PUMA 2011/12 Home and Away Kits / Jerseys – FOOTBALL FASHION.ORG". footballfashion.org. 7 June 2011. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  44. ^ "Another sponsor pulls Safa support". Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  45. ^ "No More Nike: South Africa Announce Le Coq Sportif Kit Deal". Footy Headlines. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  46. ^ "SAFA Sponsors". Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  47. ^ "Bafana Bafana announces new partnership with Banxso.com". SAFA.net. 24 May 2022. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  48. ^ "Safa blamed for Bafana's delayed live broadcast last night". SABC News. 23 April 2010. Archived from the original on 27 April 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  49. ^ "Another own goal for SABC". News24. 10 October 2010. Archived from the original on 13 May 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  50. ^ "SA FREE CHANNEL WINS 2002 WORLD CUP RIGHTS". sportbusiness. 28 September 2001. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  51. ^ "FIFA Disciplinary Committee sanctions South African Football Association". FIFA. 29 September 2025. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  52. ^ "Broos announces preliminary Bafana squad for International Friendly Matches against Panama". South African Football Association. 9 March 2026.
  53. ^ Passo Alpuin, Luis Fernando. "South Africa – International Appearances". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  54. ^ "South Africa". National Football Teams.
  55. ^ "Performance of host countries in previous World Cups". The Business Standard. 20 November 2022. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  56. ^ "History of the FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition (by year)" (PDF). FIFA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  57. ^ "World Football Elo Ratings: South Africa". Elo Ratings. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_National_Football_Team