Back Suid-Afrikaanse nasionale sokkerspan Afrikaans የደቡብ አፍሪካ ብሔራዊ እግር ኳስ ቡድን Amharic منتخب جنوب إفريقيا لكرة القدم Arabic لمنتخب لوطني د جنوب إفريقيا د لكورة ARY فريق جنوب افريقيا لكورة القدم ARZ CAR milli futbol komandası Azerbaijani جنوبی آفریقا میلّی فوتبال تیمی AZB Tim nasional sépakbola Afrika Kelod BAN Зборная Паўднёва-Афрыканскай Рэспублікі па футболе BE-X-OLD Национален отбор по футбол на Южна Африка Bulgarian
| Nickname(s) | Bafana Bafana | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Association | South African Football Association (SAFA) | |||
| Confederation | CAF (Africa) | |||
| Sub-confederation | COSAFA (Southern Africa) | |||
| Head coach | Hugo Broos | |||
| Captain | Ronwen Williams | |||
| Most caps | Aaron Mokoena (107) | |||
| Top scorer | Benni McCarthy (31) | |||
| Home stadium | Various | |||
| FIFA code | RSA | |||
| ||||
| FIFA ranking | ||||
| Current | 57  2 (18 July 2024)[1] | |||
| Highest | 16 (August 1996) | |||
| Lowest | 124 (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 | ||||
| Appearances | 3 (first in 1998) | |||
| Best result | Group Stage (1998, 2002, 2010) | |||
| Africa Cup of Nations | ||||
| Appearances | 11 (first in 1996) | |||
| Best result | Champions (1996) | |||
| CONCACAF Gold Cup | ||||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2005) | |||
| Best result | Quarter-finals (2005) | |||
| African Nations Championship | ||||
| Appearances | 2 (first in 2011) | |||
| Best result | Quarter-finals (2011) | |||
| COSAFA Cup | ||||
| Appearances | 18 (first in 1998) | |||
| Best result | Champions (2002, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2021) | |||
| Website | safa.net | |||
The South Africa men's national soccer team represents South Africa in men's international soccer and it is run by the South African Football Association, the governing body for Soccer in South Africa. The team's nickname is Bafana Bafana (The Boys in Zulu), and South Africa's home ground is FNB Stadium, which is located in Johannesburg. The team is a member of both FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF). The team remains one of the best teams on the continent, Bafana Bafana hold the joint record of being the most watched African national team on television since 2008 with broadcasting rights to Bafana Bafana games highly priced.[7] The team is recognized by their traditional yellow-green kits.
Having played their first match in 1906, they returned to the world stage in 1992, after 16 years of being banned from FIFA, and 40 years of effective suspension due to the apartheid system.[8] South Africa became the first African nation to host the FIFA World Cup when it was granted host status for the 2010 edition. The team's Siphiwe Tshabalala was also the first player to score in this World Cup during the opening game against Mexico, which was followed by an iconic Macarena-style goal celebration from five South African players.[9][10] 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.[11] As of 15 February 2024, the team is ranked 10th in Africa (CAF) and 58th in FIFA.
South Africa has appeared in three FIFA World Cups: 1998, 2002, and 2010. They became the first African nation to host the FIFA World Cup in 2010, although they were eliminated in the group stage. The team was ranked 20th out of 32 sides that participated in the 2010 World Cup. Bafana Bafana'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. The team has participated in the AFCON 11 times, with their best result being champions in 1996.
Bafana Bafana has a rich history and a promising future. With a blend of experienced players and emerging talents, the team aims to achieve greater success on the international stage. The support of passionate fans and a dedicated coaching staff will be crucial in their journey ahead. Bafana Bafana has faced several challenges over the years, including periods of decline and struggles with consistency. However, the team continues to work towards regaining its status as a formidable force in African football. The technical team views tournaments like the COSAFA Cup as opportunities to build a stronger database of players and gain valuable international experience.
Some of the most notable players in Bafana Bafana's history include Benni McCarthy, the team's top scorer with 31 goals, and Aaron Mokoena, who holds the record for the most caps with 107 appearances. Other significant players include Lucas Radebe, Doctor Khumalo, and Itumeleng Khune.
- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ a b "South Africa". Elo Ratings. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "Argentina v South Africa, 09 July 1906". International Football History and Statistics. Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
- ^ "All Bafana Bafana Matches" (PDF). South Africa FA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
- ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 15 July 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ 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 Archived 27 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ https://journals.co.za/doi/abs/10.10520/EJC137202 [bare URL]
- ^ "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.
- ^ "10 of the Most Iconic Goal Celebrations in World Football". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
- ^ "World Cup 2018: Dazzling goals, memorable celebrations and the dance of joy". India Today. Archived from the original on 20 December 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
- ^ "England slip to worst Cup ranking". BBC News. 13 July 2010. Archived from the original on 29 December 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2011.