Team Overview
The South Africa national soccer 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, 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. 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. As of January 2026, the team is ranked 60th in FIFA overall.
2026 Fixtures
| Date | Match | Group / Round | Venue | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 13:00 UTC-6 | Mexico vs South Africa | Group A | Mexico City | SCHEDULED |
| 2026-06-18 12:00 UTC-4 | Czechia vs South Africa | Group A | Atlanta | SCHEDULED |
| 2026-06-24 19:00 UTC-6 | South Africa vs Korea Republic | Group A | Monterrey (Guadalupe) | SCHEDULED |
Honours
| Intercontinental: Afro-Asian Cup of Nations Champions (1) : 1997 |
| Continental: CAF African Cup of Nations Champions (1) : 1996 Runners-up (1): 1998 Third place (2): 2000 , 2023 |
| Regional: COSAFA Cup Champions (5) : 2002 , 2007 Third place (4): 2000 , 2005 |
| Friendly: Four Nations Tournament (1) : 2018 |
| Awards: FIFA Best Mover of the Year (1) : 1996 |
| Awards: African National Team of the Year (1) : 1996 |
| Awards: FIFA Confederations Cup Fair Play Award (1) : 1997 |
| Awards: Africa Cup of Nations Fair Play Award (1) : 2023 |
Competition Records
FIFA World Cup
| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1930 to 1962 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | ||||||
| 1966 | Not admitted | Not admitted | ||||||
| 1970 | Banned | Banned | ||||||
| 1974 | ||||||||
| 1978 | ||||||||
| 1982 | ||||||||
| 1986 | ||||||||
| 1990 | ||||||||
| 1994 | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 1998 | Group stage | 24th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 2002 | 17th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 8 |
FIFA World Cup
| South Africa's World Cup record | |
|---|---|
| First Match | France 3–0 South Africa (12 June 1998; Marseille , France ) |
| Biggest Win | South Africa 1–0 Slovenia (8 June 2002; Daegu , South Korea ) South Africa 2–1 France (22 June 2010; Bloemfontein , South Africa ) |
| Biggest Defeat | France 3–0 South Africa (12 June 1998; Marseille , France ) Uruguay 3–0 South Africa (16 June 2010; Pretoria , South Africa ) |
| Best Result | 17th place at the 2002 World Cup |
| Worst Result | 24th place at the 1998 World Cup |
FIFA Confederations Cup
| FIFA Confederations Cup record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D * | L | GF | GA |
| 1992 | Banned | |||||||
| 1995 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 1997 | Group stage | 8th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| 1999 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 2001 | ||||||||
| 2003 | ||||||||
| 2005 | ||||||||
| 2009 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| 2013 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 2017 | ||||||||
| Total | Fourth place | 2/10 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 13 |
FIFA Confederations Cup
| South Africa's Confederations Cup record | |
|---|---|
| First Match | South Africa 2–2 Czech Republic (13 December 1997; Riyadh , Saudi Arabia ) |
| Biggest Win | South Africa 2–0 New Zealand (17 June 2009; Rustenburg , South Africa ) |
| Biggest Defeat | Spain 2–0 South Africa (20 June 2009; Bloemfontein , South Africa ) |
| Best Result | Fourth place at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup |
| Worst Result | 8th place at the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup |
Africa Cup of Nations
| Africa Cup of Nations record | Qualification record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1957 | Qualified, later disqualified due to apartheid | Qualified, later disqualified | ||||||
| 1959 | Banned due to apartheid | Banned due to apartheid | ||||||
| 1962 | ||||||||
| 1963 | ||||||||
| 1965 | ||||||||
| 1968 | ||||||||
| 1970 | ||||||||
| 1972 | ||||||||
| 1974 | ||||||||
| 1976 | ||||||||
| 1978 |
Africa Cup of Nations
| South Africa's Africa Cup of Nations record | |
|---|---|
| First Match | South Africa 3–0 Cameroon (13 January 1996; Johannesburg , South Africa ) |
| Biggest Win | South Africa 4–0 Namibia (21 January 2024; Korhogo , Ivory Coast ) |
| Biggest Defeat | Nigeria 4–0 South Africa (31 January 2004; Monastir , Tunisia ) |
| Best Result | Champions in 1996 |
| Worst Result | Group stage in ( 2004 , 2006 , 2008 and 2015 ) |
Current Squad
| Pos | Name | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||
| GK | Brandon Petersen | 0 | 0 | Kaizer Chiefs |
| GK | Darren Johnson | 0 | 0 | AmaZulu |
| GK | Renaldo Leaner | 3 | 0 | Sekhukhune United |
| Defenders | ||||
| DF | Deano van Rooyen | 2 | 0 | Orlando Pirates |
| DF | Fawaaz Basadien | 4 | 0 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| DF | Fezile Gcaba | 0 | 0 | Durban City |
| DF | Keegan Allan | 0 | 0 | AmaZulu |
| DF | Malibongwe Khoza | 4 | 0 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| DF | Nyiko Mobbie | 30 | 0 | Siwelele |
| DF | Siyabonga Ngezana | 11 | 0 | FCSB |
| DF | Thabiso Monyane | 2 | 0 | Kaizer Chiefs |
| DF | Thabo Moloisane | 2 | 0 | Stellenbosch |
| DF | Tylon Smith | 1 | 0 | Queens Park Rangers |
| DF | Vuyo Letlapa | 0 | 0 | Sekhukhune United |
| DF | Zuko Mdunyelwa | 1 | 0 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| Midfielders | ||||
| MF | Bathusi Aubaas | 16 | 1 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| MF | Brooklyn Poggenpoel | 0 | 0 | Durban City |
| MF | Lebohang Maboe | 17 | 3 | Kaizer Chiefs |
| MF | Luke Le Roux | 9 | 0 | Portsmouth |
| MF | Masindi Nemtajela | 0 | 0 | Orlando Pirates |
| MF | Mduduzi Shabalala | 1 | 0 | Kaizer Chiefs |
| MF | Mthetheleli Mthiyane | 0 | 0 | Stellenbosch |
| MF | Ndamulelo Maphangule | 1 | 0 | Polokwane City |
| MF | Simphiwe Selepe | 2 | 0 | Orlando Pirates |
| MF | Sinoxolo Kwayiba | 5 | 1 | Chippa United |
| MF | Siphesihle Mkhize | 0 | 0 | Sekhukhune United |
| MF | Sipho Mbule | 8 | 0 | Orlando Pirates |
| MF | Sphesihle Maduna | 0 | 0 | TS Galaxy |
| Forwards | ||||
| FW | Ashley Cupido | 0 | 0 | Stellenbosch |
| FW | Bongokuhle Hlongwane | 19 | 4 | Minnesota United |
| FW | Elias Mokwana | 11 | 2 | Al-Hazem |
| FW | Keletso Makgalwa | 0 | 0 | Sekhukhune United |
| FW | Mihlali Mayambela | 16 | 2 | Omonia |
| FW | Mohau Nkota | 9 | 2 | Al-Ettifaq |
| FW | Patrick Maswanganyi | 5 | 2 | Orlando Pirates |
| FW | Puso Dithejane | 0 | 0 | Chicago Fire |
| FW | Shandre Campbell | 0 | 0 | Club Brugge |
| FW | Thapelo Morena | 33 | 3 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| FW | Yanela Mbuthuma | 1 | 0 | Orlando Pirates |
All-Time Leaders
| Most Caps | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Stat | Years |
| Aaron Mokoena | 107 Caps | 1999–2010 |
| Itumeleng Khune | 91 Caps | 2008–2020 |
| Siphiwe Tshabalala | 90 Caps | 2006–2017 |
| Siyabonga Nomvethe | 82 Caps | 1999–2012 |
| Benni McCarthy | 81 Caps | 1997–2012 |
| Shaun Bartlett | 74 Caps | 1995–2005 |
| John Moshoeu | 73 Caps | 1992–2004 |
| 73 | 23 Caps | 2007–2015 |
| Top Scorers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Stat | Years |
| Aaron Mokoena | 107 Goals | 1999–2010 |
| Itumeleng Khune | 91 Goals | 2008–2020 |
| Siphiwe Tshabalala | 90 Goals | 2006–2017 |
| Siyabonga Nomvethe | 82 Goals | 1999–2012 |
| Benni McCarthy | 81 Goals | 1997–2012 |
| Shaun Bartlett | 74 Goals | 1995–2005 |
| John Moshoeu | 73 Goals | 1992–2004 |
| 73 | 23 Goals | 2007–2015 |