South Africa national football team - Wikipedia South Africa national football team This article is about the men 's team. For the women 's team, see South Africa women 's national football team. South Africa Nickname ( s ) Bafana Bafana ( `` The Boys, The Boys '' / Zulu : `` Go boys ! Go boys ! '' ) Association South African Football Association Confederation CAF ( Africa ) Sub-confederation COSAFA ( Southern Africa ) Head coach Stuart Baxter Captain Thulani Hlatshwayo Most caps Aaron Mokoena ( 107 ) Top scorer Benni McCarthy ( 31 ) Home stadium Various FIFA code RSA First colours Second colours FIFA ranking Current 73 ( 25 October 2018 ) Highest 16 ( August 1996 ) Lowest 124 ( December 1992 ) Elo ranking Current 68 1 ( 29 July 2018 ) Highest 21 ( 9 ) ( September 1996 ( October 1955 ) ) Lowest 94 ( May 2006 ) First international Ireland 1 -- 2 South Africa ( Belfast, Northern Ireland ; 24 September 1924 ) Biggest win Australia 0 -- 8 South Africa ( Adelaide, Australia ; 17 September 1955 ) Biggest defeat South Africa 0 -- 5 Brazil ( Johannesburg, South Africa ; 5 March 2014 ) World Cup Appearances 3 ( first in 1998 ) Best result Group stage, 1998, 2002 and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations Appearances 8 ( first in 1996 ) Best result Champions, 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup Appearances 1 ( first in 2005 ) Best result Quarter - finals, 2005 Confederations Cup Appearances 2 ( first in 1997 ) Best result Fourth place, 2009 The South Africa men 's 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 FNB Stadium, so named due to a naming rights deal, in Johannesburg. The team is currently under the charge of Stuart Baxter, who was appointed as coach on 5 April 2017. The team 's greatest achievement was winning the Africa Cup of Nations at home in 1996. Having played their first match in 1924, 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. 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. 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. Despite this, the team ranked 20th out of 32 sides, ranking higher than 12 teams who qualified. Contents 1 History 1.1 Pre-1992 1.2 1992 -- 1994 : Readmission 1.3 1996 -- 1998 : Rise 1.4 2000 -- 2002 : Peak and coaching instability 1.5 2002 -- 2006 : Decline and coaching roundabout 1.6 2007 -- 2010 : Hosting the World Cup 1.7 2012 -- 2014 : Continued struggles 1.8 2014 -- 2016 2 Team image 2.1 Nickname 2.2 Home stadium 2.3 Media coverage 2.4 Sponsors 3 Coaching staff 3.1 Coaches since 1992 4 Players 4.1 Current squad 4.2 Recent call - ups 4.3 Past squads 5 Results and fixtures 5.1 2017 5.2 2018 5.3 2019 6 Records 6.1 List of South Africa hat - tricks 7 Competitive record 7.1 FIFA World Cup 7.2 FIFA Confederations Cup 7.3 Africa Cup of Nations 7.4 African Games 8 All - time record against other nations 9 Honours 10 References 11 External links History 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 Indian 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. The South African team that toured on South America. They played 12 matches with only one defeat. In 1903 the SAFA re-affiliated with English The 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. South Africa played a total of 12 matches in South America, winning 11 with 60 goals scored and only 7 conceded. Some of the rivals were Belgrano A.C., Argentina national team, a Liga Rosarina combined, Estudiantes ( BA ) and Quilmes. The only team that could beat South Africa was the Argentine Alumni by 1 -- 0 at Sociedad Sportiva stadium of Buenos Aires, on June 24, although the South Africans would take revenge on July 22, defeating the Alumni by 2 -- 0. 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. 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. 1992 -- 1994 : readmission 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. 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 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 beat Congo home and away. They drew with Nigeria at home and lost away. South Africa finished second in the group, and failed to qualify for the next stage of the qualifiers. 1996 -- 1998 : rise In 1996, a mere 5 years after readmission, South Africa achieved their finest moment when they hosted ( and won ) the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations, in the process reaching the lofty heights of 16th in the FIFA rankings. The shock firing of Cup of Nations winning coach Clive Barker did little to slow momentum as they followed their 1996 success with a second - placed finish at the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations 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 heavy 3 -- 0 defeat to hosts France in their World Cup debut, but played credibly against other group opponents Denmark and Asian juggernauts Saudi Arabia, earning 1 -- 1 and 2 -- 2 draws respectively on their way to an early exit. 2000 -- 2002 : peak and coaching instability Following their successful 1996 and 1998 Africa Cup of Nations ' campaigns and their World Cup debut in 1998, South Africa were seen as a growing power on the continent. Under the coaching of the newly hired Trott Moloto they would start the decade off strongly, finishing third in the 2000 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, but as was increasingly symptomatic of football in South Africa at the national level, yet 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 Africa Cup of Nations and were eliminated in the quarter - finals against hosts Mali. In the run - up to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, for which South Africa had easily qualified for 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 at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, South Africa had high hopes of progressing to the knockout phase of the tournament. After earning a 2 -- 2 draw against Paraguay in their opening game with a last - gasp penalty from Quinton Fortune and following it 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 3 points clear of Paraguay and Slovenia. In arguably the game of the group, in which 5 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 as the South Africa - Spain game, Paraguay found themselves beating Slovenia 2 -- 1, but the result was not enough for Paraguay to surpass South Africa in the standings as South Africa 's goal difference of zero was superior to Paraguay 's minus one. But South African hearts would be broken. With 84 minutes gone in the Slovenia - Paraguay game Nelson Cuevas bagged a vital third goal for Paraguay, giving Paraguay a 3 -- 1 victory over Slovenia. The win left both Paraguay and South Africa level on 4 points with the late Cuevas strike against Slovenia lifting Paraguay 's goal difference to zero, level with South Africa 's. The deciding factor moved onto a third tiebreaker ; goals scored, and as Paraguay had scored six goals to South Africa 's five, they progressed to the Round of 16 at the expense of South Africa. What made the early exit all the more heartbreaking was that South Africa was the only team in the group that managed to hold its own against runaway group winners Spain, as both Slovenia and Paraguay were comfortably cast aside 3 -- 1 by the Spanish. This era ( 1996 -- 2002 ) of rising football prowess saw South Africa blessed with fine footballers such as record - setting goalscorers Benni McCarthy & Shaun Bartlett, defensive hardmen and inspirational captains Lucas Radebe & Neil Tovey, creative maestros John Moshoeu & Doctor Khumalo and defensive stalwart Mark Fish. 2002 -- 2006 : decline and coaching roundabout In the period following the 2002 World Cup and leading up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, South Africa would go through 4 head coaches ; Ephraim Mashaba ( 2002 -- 2004 ), April Phumo ( 2004 ), Stuart Baxter ( 2004 -- 2005 ), Ted Dumitru ( 2005 -- 2006 ) and caretaker Pitso Mosimane ( 2006 ). Neither coach was able to match the successes seen in the period 1996 -- 2002 as South Africa failed to progress beyond the group stages in either the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations or 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, failing to register a single goal in the latter. Above all though, South Africa failed to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. After being placed in Group 2 for qualifying, South Africa were beaten to Germany by Ghana. Following poor performances in both the 2004 and 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, rumours circulated that SAFA had been attempting to attract a high - profile international manager to coach Bafana Bafana and that former England boss Sven - Göran Eriksson had been targeted. This rumour however has been denied. 2007 -- 2010 : hosting the World Cup South Africa vs Uruguay at the 2010 FIFA World Cup By failing to register a single goal at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations and by missing out on Germany 2006, local supporters had become increasingly unhappy with the decline in performance of the national team. In light of these poor performances it was decided that the hiring of a more experienced manager was essential. Former World Cup - winner and Brazilian 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, becoming the first African nation to ever host world football 's showpiece. Under Parreira, with his rich history of success at the international level, South Africa was expected to improve, but early signs were not good as they would exit the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations at the first hurdle once again. To make matters worse, Parreira stood down 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. Under Santana South Africa would slide into its darkest period in international football since readmission. Failing to even qualify for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations with football characterised by a complete lack of creativity and little goal - scoring threat, South Africa tumbled down the FIFA rankings and was at one point not even ranked among Africa 's top - 10 nations. Santana was fired in 2009 and Parreira would return in time for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup -- also hosted by South Africa -- and South Africa 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 3rd / 4th Place Playoff. A string of victories, albeit against marginal opposition, in the run up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup seemed to instill a sense of confidence in the team as well as the nation. For the 2010 World Cup, the first in Africa, South Africa was placed in Group A, along with Mexico, surprise package and eventual semi-finalists Uruguay and former world champions France. South Africa played the first game, which opened the World Cup 2010 Football tournament with a 1 -- 1 draw against Mexico after taking the lead through a wonderful long - range Siphiwe Tshabalala strike. Katlego Mphela would hit the post late into the game as South Africa, buoyed by a frenzied home crowd, so very nearly opened the tournament with a win. 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. For the deciding match against France, Parreira would discard his previous tactics of a defensive - minded five - man midfield and a lone forward in favour of a more attacking formation utilising two forwards, as up until the France game South Africa had focused more on not losing than they did on trying to win, but the heavy defeat against Uruguay coupled with Mexico 's victory over France had now left them with a goal difference of negative three that needed to be overcome in order for them to progress. South Africa would also require a favour from Uruguay, needing the Uruguayans to inflict a sizeable defeat on Mexico to aid their chances of progress. The change in tactics worked as South Africa gained the upper hand over the French, attacking at will. At the half South Africa had a 2 -- 0 lead thanks to goals from Bongani Khumalo & Katlego Mphela while Uruguay were beating Mexico 1 -- 0 in the other group game. As it stood, South Africa needed at least one more goal against France while Uruguay needed to double their lead against Mexico. Sadly, it was not to be as while South Africa did secure an historic victory over France, they failed to score again and conceded a late goal for a 2 -- 1 victory while the Uruguayans had failed to add to their lead, as they ran out 1 -- 0 victors over Mexico. For the second World Cup in a row South Africa finished level on points with second place but were eliminated, this time on goal difference while it had been on goals scored in 2002. Elimination in the group stage made South Africa the first hosts to fail to progress beyond the first round of a World Cup. South Africa - France starting lineups 2010 - 06 - 22 Team Pld GF GA GD Pts Uruguay 0 0 + 4 7 Mexico + 1 South Africa 5 − 2 France 0 − 3 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 football development at grass - roots level that SAFA was encouraged to review in the hopes of reviving the fortunes of the national football team. Pitso Mosimane, who had been Parreira 's assistant, was selected as the new head coach with Parreira 's blessings. 2012 -- 2014 : continued struggles 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 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 head to head record with the South Africans erroneously thinking goal difference would 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 realisation dawned. SAFA said they would appeal to CAF but the appeal was later withdrawn. 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. 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. Komphela, along with Gordon Igesund, Gavin Hunt, Neil Tovey and Ephraim Shakes Mashaba had been shortlisted as one of the candidates to be the next head coach of South Africa, with Komphela and Igesund emerging as the front - runners. On 30 June 2012, Gordon Igesund was appointed as the new head coach. 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 on the grounds of safety and security. Libya was then given the right to host the 2017 edition of the tournament, which was originally awarded to South Africa. As hosts of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, South Africa would automatically qualify for the competition. South Africa, as hosts, were seeded and drawn in Group A along with Angola, Morocco and tournament debutants Cape Verde. South Africa kicked the tournament off on 19 January against debutants Cape Verde at a wet National Stadium. South Africa made use of a defensive formation as coach Gordon Igesund deployed two deep midfielders in Kagisho Dikgacoi and Reneilwe Letsholonyane and along with the poor weather conditions delivered an uninspired performance resulting in a 0 -- 0 draw. In the hosts ' second group game against Angola, coach Igesund dropped his midfield pairing of Dikgacoi and Letsholonyane and opted for a new midfield pairing of the defensive minded Dean Furman and the more attacking May Mahlangu. The result was a far more confident display as Dean Furman took control of the midfield -- something that was lacking in the first game -- and delivered a man of the match performance. South Africa ran out winners with goals from Siyabonga Sangweni and Lehlohonolo Majoro setting up a 2 -- 0 victory. Heading into the final group game against Morocco South Africa only had to avoid defeat in order to progress to the knockout stages while Morocco needed a win to progress. South Africa put in a woeful first half performance that saw them 1 -- 0 down at half time and struggling with the Moroccans ' direct approach. It was only thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, who pulled off a string of stunning saves, that South Africa were not further behind. An improved second half saw South Africa fight back with an equaliser from May Mahlangu, but South Africa continued to look vulnerable against Morocco 's direct approach and subsequently fell behind again in the 81st minute. But typical of their improved tenacity in the second half South Africa swiftly responded through a Siyabonga Sangweni equaliser in the 86th minute. South Africa hung on to the draw, with the result enough to see them win group A and progress to the quarterfinals. Sangweni 's late equaliser would prove vital as an injury time winner by Cape Verde in their final game against Angola would have seen Morocco and Cape Verde progress at the expense of South Africa, but as it was South Africa went through along with Cape Verde, who enjoyed a stunning debut in Africa 's showpiece tournament. South Africa were drawn against Group B runners - up Mali in the quarterfinals. South Africa delivered a stunning first half performance, playing at a high tempo to negate the Malians ' superior physical presence. Unable to keep up with the pace of the game, Mali were overwhelmed as South Africa carved out chance after chance, finally making the breakthrough in the 31st minute as Thuso Phala drove into the box and fired a low cross across the goalmouth which an open Tokelo Rantie pounced on. South Africa headed into the break 1 -- 0 up. However, in the second half, led by veteran midfielder and captain Seydou Keita, the Malians began to impose themselves and equalised in the 58th minute amid a momentary defensive collapse as the South African defense allowed captain Keita to head home an unchallenged cross. From that point on it was Mali that controlled the game. Neither side was able to secure a winner and the game headed into extra time. After another goalless 30 minutes the game moved to penalties. Siphiwe Tshabalala took the first penalty and gave South Africa the lead with a stunningly placed shot into the top left corner. Cheick Diabaté would swiftly respond. Then South Africa 's tournament proceeded to unravel. Dean Furman was next up for South Africa but he saw his weak shot easily saved by goalkeeper Soumbeïla Diakité. Adama Tamboura would score Mali 's second penalty handing them the advantage. In an almost carbon copy of Furman 's penalty May Mahlangu 's penalty was also easily saved low to the left by goalkeeper Diakité. Mahamane Traoré confidently dispatched Mali 's third penalty, handing them a comfortable 3 -- 1 cushion. Lehlohonolo Majoro was next up for South Africa but the pressure was too much as he fired a wild shot high and to the right of the goal. With the miss South Africa were eliminated from the tournament 3 -- 1 on penalties. After a poor 2012 in which South Africa had performed poorly and had steadily slid down FIFA 's rankings, their performance in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations was a marked improvement. Although coach Gordon Igesund had been handed the almost impossible task of a semifinal berth as a target in his contract, SAFA came out and said the signs of improvement were sufficient enough for Igesund 's job to remain safe. South Africa received a First Round bye when the qualifying process for the 2014 FIFA World Cup got underway 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. South Africa opened their qualifying campaign with a dismal performance, struggling to overcome a one - goal deficit in a 1 -- 1 home draw with Ethiopia, a nation ranked nearly 70 places below them. This result, coupled with the less than inspiring string of results that had seen South Africa winless in the past 6 outings that preceded it, resulted in the sacking of head coach Pitso Mosimane. Under interim head coach Steve Khompela, South Africa played out to yet another uninspiring 1 -- 1 draw, this time away to Botswana. Following on from a positive display in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Gordon Igesund guided South Africa to their first victory in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers as they beat the Central African Republic 2 -- 0 in Cape Town. South Africa continued their push for a place at the World Cup with a 3 -- 0 win over the Central African Republic on 8 June. South Africa endured a difficult build - up to the game as they were only able to practice once before the game due to a delayed connecting flight, but they performed admirably against their physical opponents on a bumpy pitch. The win was South Africa 's first away win in a World Cup qualifier since 2005. Ethiopia also won their match away to Botswana on the same day, maintaining their 2 - point lead over South Africa. South Africa and Ethiopia met in a potential group decider in Addis Ababa on 16 June, with the Ethiopians going undefeated at home in 12 games. South Africa were under pressure from the kick - off and as early as the 3rd - minute goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune was forced into a stunning save. South Africa would recover to take a 1 -- 0 lead through a stunning left - footed half volley from Bernard Parker in the 33rd minute. The lead was short - lived as Ethiopia equalised in the 44th minute following a defensive lapse by South Africa when they failed to deal with a loose ball on the edge of the box. Ethiopia would secure the win thanks to a stunning own goal by Bernard Parker in the 70th minute as he headed the ball into his own net from a free kick. The 2 -- 1 defeat ended South Africa 's qualification hopes and assured Ethiopia passage to the third and final round of qualifying. However, following the match it emerged that Ethiopia were under investigation for fielding an ineligible player during their 2 -- 1 win over Botswana and that they could face losing the 3 points and have the result reversed to a 3 -- 0 defeat, as in line with FIFA sanctions. This would give South Africa an outside chance of qualifying for Brazil. Ethiopia later admitted to the error. On Tuesday, 19 June, it was reported in the South African press that Ethiopia had again fielded the same player against South Africa with the player still to serve his one - match ban and it might be possible that Ethiopia could face losing another 3 points to South Africa. Should this happen, South Africa would then qualify for the next round at the expense of Ethiopia. South Africa failed to qualify. These were the final standings : Team Pld GF GA GD Pts Ethiopia 6 8 6 + 2 13 South Africa 6 12 5 + 7 11 Botswana 6 8 10 − 2 7 Central African Republic 6 0 5 5 12 − 7 Botswana -- 3 -- 2 3 -- 0 1 -- 1 Central African Republic 2 -- 0 -- 1 -- 2 0 -- 3 Ethiopia 1 -- 0 2 -- 0 -- 2 -- 1 South Africa 4 -- 1 2 -- 0 1 -- 1 -- 2014 -- 2016 South Africa 's first match under new coach, Ephraim Mashaba was a Group A qualifying match for AFCON 2015, played at Al - Merrikh Stadium against Sudan on 5 September 2014. South Africa won the match 3 -- 0 with two goals from Sibusiso Vilakazi in the 55th and 61st minutes and a goal from Bongani Ndulula in the 78th minute. South Africa 's second match in the AFCON qualifiers was a home match at Cape Town Stadium against Nigeria on 10 September. South Africa held off the defending AFCON champions for a 0 -- 0 draw. Following these two matches, Bafana Bafana moved up two places to 67th in the FIFA world ranking. South Africa then took on Congo at the Stade Municipal de Pointe - Noire on 11 October. The game was won 2 -- 0 with goals from Bongani Ndulula and Tokelo Rantie in the second half. This victory brought South Africa to the top of Group A. Next was the return match in Polokwane 's Peter Mokaba Stadium. The game ended in a 0 -- 0 stalemate which kept South Africa at the top of the group. Following these two matches, South Africa climbed ten places in the FIFA rankings to no. 57. Next up was the second match against Sudan on 15 November which was won 2 -- 1, with goals from Thulani Serero in the 37th minute, and Tokelo Rantie in the 54th minute. The game was originally scheduled to be played at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, but it was moved to the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban in honour of captain and goalkeeper, Senzo Meyiwa who was shot and killed two weeks prior to the game. Coach Ephraim Mashaba said the win was for the fallen hero, who had not conceded a goal in the four qualifiers he had played. The result sealed qualification for South Africa, with an away game versus Nigeria to spare. It was the first time since 2008 that Bafana managed to qualify for the tournament ( in 2013 they qualified as hosts after Libya exchanged their rights for security reasons ). The last game of the qualifiers was on 19 November at the Akwa Ibom Stadium in Uyo, Nigeria. It ended 2 -- 2, therefore eliminating Nigeria and denying them the chance to defend their crown at 2015 AFCON. The coach Ephraim Mashaba had earlier said that South Africa would not do Nigeria any favours. It showed in the way that the South Africans approached the match. Tokelo Rantie missed a sitter in the fourth minute when he fluffed his chance over the bar, but he made amends when he opened the scoring in the 42nd minute after a neat pass from Dean Furman. It looked as if South Africa would get their first competitive win over Nigeria when Rantie doubled his and his country 's tally in the 48th minute. But it was n't to be, as they failed to hold on for a historic win. Nigeria came back to draw 2 -- 2 but it was n't enough to secure Nigeria 's qualification as Congo beat Sudan 1 -- 0 to book their place at the tournament. Under Mashaba, South Africa failed to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. This, in addition to the 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. Team image Team logo of Bafana Bafana Nickname `` Bafana Bafana '' is a nickname given to the national side by its fans. It is Zulu and translates literally as `` the boys, the boys ''. Its actual meaning in Zulu 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 used 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. 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 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 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 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 for rights to the name `` Bafana Bafana '', in class 25 and all other classes. Home Stadium 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 at. 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 and Johannesburg Stadium in Johannesburg, Kings Park in Durban, Olympia Park in Rustenburg, 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, Griqua Park in Kimberley, Jan Smuts Stadium and Buffalo City Stadium in East London, Odi Stadium in Mabopane, Mmabatho Stadium in Mafikeng, Atlantic Stadium in Witbank and Olen Park in Potchefstroom. 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. Media coverage The South African Football Association 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 by e.tv. Sponsors 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. 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 R14 million per year. 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. 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. Since March 2014, the official kit provider is American sporting apparel company Nike from the international friendly match against Brazil. 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. Kit provider Period Kappa 1992 -- 1998 Adidas 1998 -- 2010 Puma 2011 -- 2013 Nike 2014 -- present Coaching staff Position Staff Coach Stuart Baxter Team Doctor Thulani Ngwenya Assistant Coach Quinton Fortune Assistant Coach Thabo Senong Technical Director Neil Tovey Goalkeeper Coach Alex Heredia Fitness Trainer Joshua Smith Team Manager Kabelo Rangoaga Physiologist Sizwe Gqoongqo Physiotherapist Nhlanhla Maphanga Source : Coaches since 1992 Jeff Butler ( 1992 ) Stanley Tshabalala ( 1992 ) Ephraim Mashaba ( 1992 ) Augusto Palacios ( 1992 -- 94 ) Clive Barker ( 1994 -- 97 ) Jomo Sono ( 1998 ) Philippe Troussier ( 1998 ) Trott Moloto ( 1998 -- 00 ) Carlos Queiroz ( 2000 -- 02 ) Ephraim Mashaba ( 2001 ) Trott Moloto ( 2002 ) Jomo Sono ( 2002 ) Ephraim Mashaba ( 2002 -- 04 ) Jomo Sono ( 2003 ) April Phumo ( 2004 ) Stuart Baxter ( 2004 -- 05 ) Ted Dumitru ( 2005 -- 06 ) Pitso Mosimane ( 2006 ) Carlos Alberto Parreira ( 2007 -- 08 ) Joel Santana ( 2008 -- 09 ) Carlos Alberto Parreira ( 2009 -- 10 ) Pitso Mosimane ( 2010 -- 12 ) Steve Komphela ( 2012 ) Gordon Igesund ( 2012 -- 14 ) Ephraim Mashaba ( 2014 -- 16 ) Stuart Baxter ( 2017 -- ) ^ 1 Caretaker coach during 1998 African Cup of Nations ^ 2 Caretaker coach for one match ^ 3 Caretaker coach for one match ^ 4 Caretaker coach during 2002 FIFA World Cup ^ 5 Caretaker coach for one match ^ 6 Caretaker coach for seven matches ^ 7 Caretaker coach for two matches Players Current squad The following players were named in the squad for the match against Seychelles scheduled on 13 October 2018. Caps and goals as of 17 October 2018 after the two games against Seychelles No. Pos. Player Date of birth ( age ) Caps Goals Club 1GK Itumeleng Khune ( 1987 - 06 - 20 ) 20 June 1987 ( age 31 ) 90 0 Kaizer Chiefs 1GK Darren Keet ( 1989 - 08 - 05 ) 5 August 1989 ( age 29 ) 8 0 Bidvest Wits 1GK Ronwen Williams ( 1992 - 01 - 21 ) 21 January 1992 ( age 26 ) 0 SuperSport United 2DF Thulani Hlatshwayo ( 1989 - 12 - 18 ) 18 December 1989 ( age 28 ) 37 Bidvest Wits 2DF Ramahlwe Mphahlele ( 1990 - 02 - 01 ) 1 February 1990 ( age 28 ) 15 0 Kaizer Chiefs 2DF Buhle Mkhwanazi ( 1990 - 02 - 01 ) 1 February 1990 ( age 28 ) 12 0 Bidvest Wits 2DF Sifiso Hlanti ( 1990 - 05 - 01 ) 1 May 1990 ( age 28 ) 11 0 Bidvest Wits 2DF Siyanda Xulu ( 1991 - 12 - 30 ) 30 December 1991 ( age 26 ) 0 Maritzburg United 2DF Thamsanqa Mkhize ( 1988 - 08 - 18 ) 18 August 1988 ( age 30 ) 0 Cape Town City 2DF Innocent Maela ( 1992 - 08 - 14 ) 14 August 1992 ( age 26 ) 0 Orlando Pirates 2DF Motjeka Madisha ( 1995 - 01 - 12 ) 12 January 1995 ( age 23 ) 0 Mamelodi Sundowns 2DF Thapelo Morena ( 1993 - 08 - 06 ) 6 August 1993 ( age 25 ) 0 Mamelodi Sundowns 3MF Dean Furman ( 1988 - 06 - 22 ) 22 June 1988 ( age 30 ) 49 SuperSport United 3MF Sibusiso Vilakazi ( 1989 - 12 - 29 ) 29 December 1989 ( age 28 ) 32 5 Mamelodi Sundowns 3MF Hlompho Kekana ( 1985 - 05 - 23 ) 23 May 1985 ( age 33 ) 24 5 Mamelodi Sundowns 3MF Kamohelo Mokotjo ( 1991 - 11 - 03 ) 3 November 1991 ( age 26 ) 14 0 Brentford 3MF Aubrey Modiba ( 1995 - 06 - 22 ) 22 June 1995 ( age 23 ) 8 0 SuperSport United 3MF Teboho Mokoena ( 1997 - 01 - 24 ) 24 January 1997 ( age 21 ) SuperSport United 3MF Lebogang Phiri ( 1994 - 11 - 09 ) 9 November 1994 ( age 23 ) 0 Guingamp 3MF Thabo Nodada ( 1995 - 05 - 02 ) 2 May 1995 ( age 23 ) 0 0 Cape Town City 4FW Percy Tau ( 1994 - 05 - 13 ) 13 May 1994 ( age 24 ) 15 6 Union Saint - Gilloise 3MF Dino Ndlovu ( 1990 - 02 - 15 ) 15 February 1990 ( age 28 ) 7 Hangzhou Greentown 3MF Lebo Mothiba ( 1996 - 01 - 28 ) 28 January 1996 ( age 22 ) RC Strasbourg 3MF Phakamani Mahlambi ( 1997 - 09 - 12 ) 12 September 1997 ( age 21 ) 0 Mamelodi Sundowns 4FW Vincent Pule ( 1992 - 03 - 10 ) 10 March 1992 ( age 26 ) 0 Orlando Pirates 4FW Lebohang Maboe ( 1994 - 09 - 17 ) 17 September 1994 ( age 24 ) 0 Mamelodi Sundowns 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 Peterson ( 1994 - 09 - 22 ) 22 September 1994 ( age 24 ) 0 Ajax Cape Town v. Zambia, 24 March 2018 GK Wayne Sandilands ( 1983 - 08 - 23 ) 23 August 1983 ( age 35 ) 9 0 Orlando Pirates v. Senegal, 14 November 2017 DF Daniel Cardoso ( 1988 - 10 - 06 ) 6 October 1988 ( age 30 ) 0 Kaizer Chiefs v. Zambia, 24 March 2018 DF Reeve Frosler ( 1998 - 01 - 11 ) 11 January 1998 ( age 20 ) 0 Bidvest Wits v. Zambia, 24 March 2018 DF Eric Mathoho ( 1990 - 03 - 01 ) 1 March 1990 ( age 28 ) 34 Kaizer Chiefs v. Senegal, 14 November 2017 DF Morgan Gould ( 1983 - 04 - 23 ) 23 April 1983 ( age 35 ) 31 SuperSport United v. Senegal, 14 November 2017 DF Clayton Daniels ( 1984 - 07 - 10 ) 10 July 1984 ( age 34 ) 12 SuperSport United v. Senegal, 14 November 2017 DF Tebogo Langerman ( 1986 - 05 - 06 ) 6 May 1986 ( age 32 ) 10 0 Mamelodi Sundowns v. Senegal, 14 November 2017 MF Bongani Zungu ( 1992 - 10 - 09 ) 9 October 1992 ( age 26 ) 24 Amiens v. Libya, 8 September 2018 MF Themba Zwane ( 1989 - 08 - 03 ) 3 August 1989 ( age 29 ) 15 Mamelodi Sundowns v. Libya, 8 September 2018 MF Tiyani Mabunda ( 1988 - 04 - 17 ) 17 April 1988 ( age 30 ) 7 Mamelodi Sundowns v. Libya, 8 September 2018 MF Siphesihle Ndlovu ( 1996 - 09 - 30 ) 30 September 1996 ( age 22 ) 0 Maritzburg United v. Libya, 8 September 2018 MF Mxolisi Macuphu ( 1989 - 05 - 12 ) 12 May 1989 ( age 29 ) 0 0 Bidvest Wits v. Libya, 8 September 2018 MF Siphiwe Tshabalala ( 1984 - 09 - 25 ) 25 September 1984 ( age 34 ) 91 12 BB Erzurumspor v. Senegal, 14 November 2017 MF Andile Jali ( 1990 - 04 - 10 ) 10 April 1990 ( age 28 ) 47 5 Mamelodi Sundowns v. Senegal, 14 November 2017 MF Thulani Serero ( 1990 - 11 - 04 ) 4 November 1990 ( age 27 ) 38 Vitesse v. Senegal, 14 November 2017 FW Keagan Dolly ( 1993 - 01 - 22 ) 22 January 1993 ( age 25 ) 14 Montpellier v. Libya, 8 September 2018 FW Bradley Grobler ( 1988 - 01 - 25 ) 25 January 1988 ( age 30 ) 9 SuperSport United v. Libya, 8 September 2018 FW Thembinkosi Lorch ( 1993 - 07 - 22 ) 22 July 1993 ( age 25 ) 0 Orlando Pirates v. Zambia, 24 March 2018 FW Ryan Moon ( 1996 - 02 - 01 ) 1 February 1996 ( age 22 ) 0 Kaizer Chiefs v. Zambia, 24 March 2018 FW Lebogang Manyama ( 1990 - 09 - 13 ) 13 September 1990 ( age 28 ) 16 Kaizer Chiefs v. Senegal, 14 November 2017 Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury. Past squads Africa Cup of Nations 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 2013 Africa Cup of Nations 2015 Africa Cup of Nations CONCACAF Gold Cup 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup Fifa World Cup 1998 FIFA World Cup 2002 FIFA World Cup 2010 FIFA World Cup Fifa Confederations Cup 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Results and fixtures The following matches were played in the last 12 months or are scheduled to be played. 2017 Cape Verde v South Africa 1 September 2017 2018 WCQ Cape Verde 2 -- 1 South Africa show Praia, Cape Verde 17 : 30 CVT Rocha 33 ', 38 ' ( pen. ) Report Rantie 14 ' Stadium : Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde Attendance : 3,000 Referee : Mehdi Abid Charef ( Algeria ) South Africa v Cape Verde 5 September 2017 2018 WCQ South Africa 1 -- 2 Cape Verde show Durban, South Africa 19 : 00 SAST Jali 89 ' Report Rodrigues 52 ', 67 ' Stadium : Moses Mabhida Stadium Referee : Ferdinand Udoh ( Nigeria ) South Africa v Burkina Faso 7 October 2017 2018 WCQ South Africa 3 -- 1 Burkina Faso show Johannesburg, South Africa 15 : 00 SAST Tau 1 ' Zwane 33 ' Vilakazi 45 + 1 ' Report A. Traoré 87 ' Stadium : FNB Stadium Referee : Sidi Alioum ( Cameroon ) South Africa v Senegal 10 November 2017 2018 WCQ South Africa 0 -- 2 Senegal show Polokwane, South Africa 19 : 05 ( SAST ) Report ( FIFA ) Report ( CAF ) Sakho 12 ' Mkhize 38 ' ( o.g. ) Stadium : Peter Mokaba Stadium Attendance : 40,000 Referee : Janny Sikazwe ( Zambia ) Senegal v South Africa 14 November 2017 2018 WCQ Senegal 2 -- 1 South Africa show Dakar, Senegal 19 : 30 ( UTC ± 0 ) Nguette 55 ' Mbodji 90 + 2 ' Report ( FIFA ) Report ( CAF ) Tau 63 ' Stadium : Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor Attendance : 50,000 Referee : Bamlak Tessema Weyesa ( Ethiopia ) 2018 South Africa v Angola 21 March 2018 2018 FNT South Africa 1 -- 1 ( a.e.t. ) ( 5 -- 3 p ) Angola show Ndola, Zambia 15 : 00 CAT ( UTC + 2 ) Mothiba 51 ' Report Djalma 33 ' Stadium : Levy Mwanawasa Stadium Attendance : 2,000 Referee : Patrick Ngoleka ( Malawi ) Zambia v South Africa 24 March 2018 2018 FNT Zambia 0 -- 2 South Africa show Ndola, Zambia 18 : 00 CAT ( UTC + 2 ) Report Tau 15 ' Mothiba 90 + 1 ' Stadium : Levy Mwanawasa Stadium Attendance : 40 Referee : Tirelo Mositwane ( Botswana ) South Africa v Libya 8 September 2018 2019 AFCONQ South Africa 0 -- 0 Libya show Durban, South Africa 15 : 00 SAST ( UTC + 2 ) Report Stadium : Moses Mabhida Stadium Referee : Sidi Alioum ( Cameroon ) South Africa v Seychelles 13 October 2018 2019 AFCONQ South Africa 6 -- 0 Seychelles show Johannesburg, South Africa 15 : 00 SAST ( UTC + 2 ) Hoareau 23 ' ( o.g. ) Hlatshwayo 25 ' Mothiba 27 ' Tau 74 ' Ndlovu 81 ' Mokoena 90 + 3 ' Report Stadium : FNB Stadium Referee : Ring Nyier Akech Malong ( South Sudan ) Seychelles v South Africa 16 October 2018 2019 AFCONQ Seychelles 0 -- 0 South Africa show Victoria, Seychelles 17 : 30 UTC + 4 Report Stadium : Stade Linité Referee : Mfaume Ali Nassoro ( Tanzania ) South Africa v Nigeria 16 November 2018 2019 AFCONQ South Africa Nigeria show South Africa Report 2019 Libya v South Africa 22 March 2019 2019 AFCONQ Libya South Africa show TBD Report Records Aaron Mokoena became the first, and to date only, South African player to reach 100 caps on 31 May 2010, against Guatemala ; to celebrate he wore a kit numbered 100. Players in bold are still active, at least at club level. Updated as of 24 March 2018. Most caps # Player Career Caps Goals Aaron Mokoena 1999 -- 2010 107 Siphiwe Tshabalala 2006 -- present 91 12 Itumeleng Khune 2008 -- present 88 0 Siyabonga Nomvethe 1999 -- 2012 82 16 5 Benni McCarthy 1997 -- 2012 80 31 6 Shaun Bartlett 1995 -- 2005 74 29 7 John Moshoeu 1992 -- 2004 73 8 Delron Buckley 1999 -- 2008 73 10 Bernard Parker 2007 -- 2015 73 23 10 Lucas Radebe 1992 -- 2003 70 Top goalscorers # Player Career Goals Caps Benni McCarthy 1997 -- 2012 31 80 Shaun Bartlett 1995 -- 2005 29 74 Katlego Mphela 2005 -- 2013 23 51 Bernard Parker 2007 -- 2015 23 73 5 Phil Masinga 1992 -- 2001 19 58 6 Siyabonga Nomvethe 1999 -- 2012 16 82 7 Sibusiso Zuma 1998 -- 2008 13 67 8 Tokelo Rantie 2012 -- present 12 41 Siphiwe Tshabalala 2006 -- present 12 91 10 Teko Modise 2007 -- 2012 10 66 Delron Buckley 1998 -- 2008 10 73 List of South Africa hat - tricks Benni McCarthy is still the only player to have scored hat - trick for South Africa. No. Player Opponent Goals Score Venue Competition Date Benni McCarthy Namibia 4 -- ( 8 ' ; 11 ' ; 19 ' ; 21 ' ) 4 -- 1 Stade Omnisport, Bobo - Dioulasso, Burkina Faso 1998 Africa Cup of Nations 16 February 1998 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. 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 tournament. 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 World Cup after finishing third in their qualifying group. Ghana won the group and progressed to the tournament, 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. FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup qualification record Year Round Position Pld GF GA Pld GF GA 1930 to 1962 Did not enter Did not enter 1966 Not admitted Not admitted 1970 to 1990 Banned Banned 1994 Did not qualify 1998 Group stage 24th 0 6 8 6 11 2002 Group stage 17th 5 5 8 7 0 13 2006 Did not qualify 10 5 12 14 Group stage 20th 5 Qualified as hosts 2014 Did not qualify 6 12 5 2018 8 11 11 2022 To be determined To be determined 2026 Total Group stage 3 / 21 9 11 16 44 26 7 11 61 40 FIFA Confederations Cup FIFA Confederations Cup record Year Round Position Pld D * GF GA 1992 Banned 1995 Did not qualify 1997 Group Stage 8th 0 5 7 1999 Did not qualify 2001 2003 2005 2009 Fourth Place 4th 5 6 2013 Did not qualify 2017 2021 To be determined Total Fourth Place 2 / 11 8 5 9 13 Africa Cup of Nations CAF Africa Cup of Nations record Year Round Position Pld D * GF GA 1957 Disqualified because of apartheid 1959 Banned 1962 1963 1965 1968 1970 1972 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 Did not qualify Champions 1st 6 5 0 11 1998 Runners - up 2nd 6 9 6 2000 Third Place 3rd 6 8 6 2002 Quarter - finals 6th Group stage 11th 5 2006 Group stage 16th 0 0 0 5 2008 Group stage 13th 0 5 Did not qualify 2012 2013 Quarter - finals 6th 5 2015 Group stage 15th 0 6 2017 Did not qualify 2019 To be determined 2021 To be determined Total 1 Title 9 / 31 38 14 12 12 45 41 * Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil. African games Football at the African Games has been an under - 23 tournament since 1991. See also : South Africa national under - 23 football team African Games record Year Result GP GS GA 1965 - 0 0 0 0 0 0 1973 - 0 0 0 0 0 0 1978 - 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 0 0 1991 -- present See South Africa national under - 23 football team Total 4 / 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 All - time record against other nations As of 16 October 2018 Opponent GP GF GA GD Algeria 5 − 1 Angola 14 8 5 17 9 + 8 Argentina 0 − 2 Australia 21 11 6 47 27 + 20 Benin 0 0 0 + 2 Bolivia 0 0 0 − 1 Botswana 14 10 0 23 6 + 17 Brazil 5 0 0 5 12 − 9 Bulgaria 0 0 0 Burkina Faso 9 5 14 6 + 8 Burundi 0 0 0 + 4 Cameroon 9 5 14 10 + 4 Canada 0 0 0 + 2 Cape Verde 5 6 6 0 Central African Republic 0 0 5 0 + 5 Chad 0 0 7 0 + 7 Chile 0 0 0 − 2 Colombia 0 0 + 1 Congo 10 5 8 + 4 Costa Rica 0 0 + 2 Czech Republic 0 0 0 Denmark 0 + 1 DR Congo 6 8 5 + 3 Ecuador 0 0 0 0 0 Egypt 11 6 10 8 + 2 England 0 0 − 2 Equatorial Guinea 0 5 + 4 Ethiopia 0 − 1 France 6 − 3 Gabon 0 10 + 7 Gambia 0 0 0 Georgia 0 0 − 3 Germany 0 9 − 7 Ghana 12 5 12 11 + 1 Guatemala 0 6 + 5 Guinea 0 0 0 − 3 Guinea - Bissau 0 0 + 2 Honduras 0 0 0 Iceland 0 6 − 4 Iraq 0 0 0 0 0 Israel 0 0 + 1 Italy 0 0 0 − 3 Ivory Coast 6 0 6 + 3 Jamaica 5 0 6 + 2 Japan 0 0 0 0 0 Kenya 0 6 + 4 Lesotho 11 7 0 20 + 16 Liberia 0 + 1 Libya 0 0 0 0 0 Madagascar 6 0 5 0 + 5 Malawi 12 9 20 5 + 15 Mali 5 + 1 Malta 0 0 0 + 1 Mauritania 0 − 2 Mauritius 14 10 24 5 + 19 Mexico 5 10 − 5 Morocco 5 0 9 6 + 3 Mozambique 6 5 0 14 + 10 Namibia 8 5 16 8 + 8 Netherlands 0 0 − 3 New Zealand 6 5 0 26 9 + 17 Niger 0 + 1 Nigeria 13 7 8 22 − 14 North Korea 0 0 0 0 0 Northern Ireland 0 0 − 1 Norway 0 − 1 Panama 0 0 0 Paraguay 0 6 + 3 Poland 0 0 Portugal 0 0 5 − 4 Republic of Ireland 0 0 − 2 Saudi Arabia 0 Scotland 0 + 1 Senegal 10 10 13 − 3 Serbia 0 0 − 2 Seychelles 0 9 0 + 9 Sierra Leone 0 0 − 1 Slovenia 0 0 0 + 1 Spain 0 5 8 − 3 Sudan 0 0 5 + 4 Swaziland 9 8 0 26 6 + 20 Sweden 0 − 2 Tanzania 0 Thailand 0 0 0 + 4 Trinidad and Tobago 0 − 1 Tunisia 6 7 9 − 2 Turkey 0 0 0 + 2 Uganda 0 0 + 2 United Arab Emirates 0 0 0 − 1 Uruguay 0 7 − 4 United States 0 0 0 6 − 6 Zambia 22 6 9 7 21 23 − 2 Zimbabwe 15 7 6 24 15 + 9 Total 407 185 116 106 565 390 + 175 Jump up ^ Includes matches against Zaire. Honours Africa Cup of Nations Winner ( 1 ) : 1996 Runner - up ( 1 ) : 1998 Third Place ( 1 ) : 2000 FIFA Confederations Cup Fourth Place ( 1 ) : 2009 FIFA Best Mover of the Year Winner ( 1 ) : 1996 Afro - Asian Cup of Nations Winner ( 1 ) : 1997 COSAFA Cup Winner ( 4 ) : 2002, 2007, 2008 ; ^ 1 ; 2016 Third Place ( 4 ) : 2000, 2005, 2009 ^ 1, 2013 − ^ 1 In 2008 and 2009, SAFA sent a ' Development XI ' to the COSAFA Cup. These matches thus do not count towards the senior national team 's records. References Jump up ^ 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. Jump up ^ `` 24 / 09 / 1924 v South Africa ''. Disputed internationals. Northern Ireland Football Greats. 8 August 2006. Retrieved 11 November 2013. Jump up ^ Ireland v South Africa, 24 September 1924 Jump up ^ `` All Bafana Bafana Matches '' ( PDF ). South Africa FA. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2010. Jump up ^ `` From apartheid to the World Cup - four decades in the sporting life of South Africa ''. FIFA. 27 October 2004. Retrieved 1 September 2017. Jump up ^ `` 10 of the Most Iconic Goal Celebrations in World Football ''. Bleacher Report. Retrieved 17 October 2018. Jump up ^ `` World Cup 2018 : Dazzling goals, memorable celebrations and the dance of joy ''. India Today. Retrieved 17 October 2018. Jump up ^ `` England slip to worst Cup ranking ''. BBC News. 13 July 2010. Retrieved 1 December 2011. Jump up ^ Goldblatt, David ( 2007 ). The Ball is Round : A Global History of Football. London : Penguin. pp. 90 -- 91. ISBN 978 - 0 - 14 - 101582 - 8. ^ Jump up to : Before The ' D '... Association Football around the world, 1863 - 1937, page 4 Jump up ^ Gira Sudamericana de Sudáfrica 1906 on Fútbol Nostalgia website Jump up ^ Historia del Fútbol Amateur en la Argentina by Jorge Iwanczuk. Publisher : Autores Editores ( 1992 ) -- ISBN 9504343848 ^ Jump up to : Goldblatt, The Ball is Round : A Global History of Football, p493 Jump up ^ `` Invasions, drop - outs and a bye to the final : admin mayhem in the first Africa Cup of Nations ''. FourFourTwo. 2015 - 01 - 17. Retrieved 2018 - 06 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Bring Back the Sports Boycott ''. Newsweek. 2010 - 06 - 20. Retrieved 2018 - 06 - 05. Jump up ^ CNN Jump up ^ `` SA football stands embarrassed '' Independent Online. South Africa 10 October 2011. Jump up ^ `` Bemused Bafana ' in the dark ' over procedure '' Independent Online. South Africa 11 September 2007. Jump up ^ `` South Africa miss out on Africa Cup of Nations after misreading rules ''. Reuters / The Guardian. 9 October 2011. Jump up ^ `` South Africa appeal to CAF following Africa Cup of Nations mix - up ''. Reuters / The Guardian. 10 October 2011. Jump up ^ `` SAFA withdraw AFCON appeal '' Archived 4 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine... football365.co.za. 19 October 2011. Jump up ^ Tiyani Mabasa ( 5 June 2012 ). `` Pitso gets the boot ''. kickoff.com. Retrieved 28 June 2012. Jump up ^ Farirayi Kahwemba ( 15 June 2012 ). `` Steve Komphela 's coaching skills under the spotlight against Gabon tonight ''. kickoff.com. Retrieved 28 June 2012. Jump up ^ Kick Off ( 18 June 2012 ). `` Steve Komphela and Gordon Igesund the final two for Bafana ''. kickoff.com. Retrieved 28 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` SAFA.net - South African Football Association ''. www.safa.net. Retrieved 2018 - 06 - 05. Jump up ^ `` South Africa replace Libya as 2013 Nations Cup hosts ''. BBC Sport. 28 September 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` 2013 Africa Cup of Nations draw : Nigeria to meet champions Zambia, Ghana face Mali ''. goal.com. 24 October 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2013. Jump up ^ `` Bafana get reprieve as Ethiopia admit mistake ''. sportslive.co.za. Retrieved 19 June 2013. Jump up ^ `` Bafana on the brink as Ethiopia may lose more points ''. sportslive.co.za. Retrieved 19 June 2013. Jump up ^ `` Bafana beat Sudan 3 -- 0 under Mashaba ''. Sowetan Live. South African Press Association. 6 September 2014. Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014. Jump up ^ Molobi, Timothy ( 10 September 2014 ). `` Brave Bafana settle for draw with Nigeria ''. citypress.co.za. City Press. Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` Bafana up in latest Fifa rankings ''. IOL News. South African Press Association. 18 September 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014. Jump up ^ Wagiet, Rafiq ( 11 October 2014 ). `` Bafana Beat Congo - Brazzaville 2 -- 0 ''. ewn.co.za. Eyewitness News. Retrieved 21 November 2014. Jump up ^ Pretorius, Wade ( 16 October 2014 ). `` Player ratings : Bafana v Congo ''. sport24.co.za. Sport24. Retrieved 21 November 2014. Jump up ^ `` Bafana jump in FIFA rankings ''. sport24.co.za. Sport24. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2014. Jump up ^ `` Bafana qualify for AFCON 2015 ''. sport24.co.za. Sport24. 15 November 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014. Jump up ^ Mark, Jonty ( 15 November 2014 ). `` Bafana qualify for AFCON 2015 ''. citizen.co.za. The Citizen. Archived from the original on 28 November 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014. Jump up ^ `` Bafana Bafana -- Who Owns This Nickname for the South African Soccer Team ? ''. Spoor.com. 2 June 2003. Retrieved 23 September 2011. Jump up ^ `` 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. Jump up ^ `` 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. Jump up ^ `` Another own goal for SABC ''. News24. 10 October 2010. Retrieved 6 March 2011. Jump up ^ `` SA FREE CHANNEL WINS 2002 WORLD CUP RIGHTS ''. sportbusiness. 28 September 2001. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2011. Jump up ^ `` Bafana to be decked out in Puma ''. The Sowetan. Retrieved 2 December 2010. Jump up ^ `` Companies want more bang for their sponsorship buck ''. The Sunday Times. Retrieved 5 December 2010. Jump up ^ `` New Sponsor and kit ''. Eyewitness News. Archived from the original on 15 August 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2011. Jump up ^ `` South Africa PUMA 2011 / 12 Home and Away Kits / Jerseys -- FOOTBALL FASHION.ORG ''. footballfashion.org. Retrieved 2018 - 06 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Another sponsor pulls Safa support ''. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` SAFA Sponsors ''. Retrieved 13 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` History of the FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition ( by year ) '' ( PDF ). FIFA. Retrieved 17 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` World Football Elo Ratings : South Africa ''. Elo Ratings. Retrieved 26 August 2017. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to South Africa national football team. South Africa FA official website Soccer in South Africa South African Football Association National teams Men National team ( Bafana Bafana ) Olympic ( U-23 ) ( Amaglug - glug ) U-20 ( Amajita ) U-17 ( Amajimbos ) development ( Amabinneplaas ) Women National team ( Banyana Banyana ) U-20 ( Basetsana ) U-17 ( Bantwana ) League system Men Active Premier Soccer League ( ABSA Premiership National First Division ) SAFA SAFA Second Division Regional League U19 National League Defunct NFL ( 1959 -- 77 ) SASL ( 1961 -- 67 ) FPL ( 1969 -- 90 ) NPSL Castle League for blacks ( 1971 -- 77 ) NPSL Castle League ( 1978 -- 84 ) NPSL ( 1985 -- 95 ) NSL Castle League ( 1985 -- 95 ) NSL Second Division ( 1985 -- 95 ) Domestic cups Men Active Nedbank Cup Telkom Knockout MTN 8 Carling Black Label Cup Mangaung Cup Defunct NFL Cup ( 1959 -- 77 ) SASF Cup ( 1961 -- 85 ) United Bank International Soccer Festival ( 1993 -- 94 ) Baymed Cup ( 2006 ) Telkom Charity Cup ( 1986 -- 2010 ) Vodacom Challenge ( 1999 - 2011 ) Awards SAFA Awards PSL Awards Lists Clubs Club name changes Foreign players Men 's clubs Men 's players Women 's players Expatriate players Managers Referees Venues Seasons Records International association football FIFA Federations Teams Competitions World Cup U-20 U-17 Confederations Cup Olympics Youth Olympics Universiade World Rankings The Best FIFA Football Awards Timeline of association football Comparison of association football and futsal Africa CAF -- Africa Cup of Nations U-23 U-20 U-17 Regional ( CECAFA, CEMAC, COSAFA, WAFU ) Intercontinental ( UAFA ) Asia AFC -- Asian Cup U-23 U-19 U-16 U-14 Regional ( ASEAN, EAFF, SAFF, CAFA, WAFF ) Intercontinental ( UAFA ) Europe UEFA -- European Championship U-21 U-19 U-17 Nations League North America, Central America and the Caribbean CONCACAF -- Gold Cup U-20 U-17 U-15 Nations League Regional ( CFU, UNCAF ) Oceania OFC -- Nations Cup U-19 U-17 South America CONMEBOL -- Copa América U-20 U-17 U-15 Non-FIFA NF - Board -- Viva World Cup CONIFA -- ConIFA World Football Cup ConIFA European Football Cup IIGA -- Island Games Games African Games Asian Games Central America Central America and Caribbean East Asian Games Francophonie Games Indian Ocean Island Lusophony Games Mediterranean Games Pan American Games Pan Arab Games Pacific Games South Asian Games Southeast Asian Games West Asian Games See also Geography Codes Player / Club of the Century Women 's football National football teams of Africa ( CAF ) North Africa ( UNAF ) Algeria Egypt Libya Morocco Tunisia West Africa ( WAFU ) Benin Burkina Faso Cape Verde Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea - Bissau Ivory Coast Liberia Mali Mauritania Niger Nigeria Senegal Sierra Leone Togo East Africa ( CECAFA ) Burundi Djibouti Eritrea Ethiopia Kenya Rwanda Somalia South Sudan Sudan Tanzania Uganda Zanzibar Central Africa ( UNIFFAC ) Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Congo DR Congo Equatorial Guinea Gabon São Tomé and Príncipe Southern Africa ( COSAFA ) Angola Botswana Comoros eSwatini Lesotho Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Seychelles South Africa Zambia Zimbabwe Non-regional Members Réunion Associate member of CAF but not member of FIFA Africa Cup of Nations Champions 1957 : Egypt 1959 : United Arab Republic 1962 : Ethiopia 1963 : Ghana 1965 : Ghana 1968 : Congo - Kinshasa 1970 : Sudan 1972 : Congo 1974 : Zaire 1976 : Morocco 1978 : Ghana 1980 : Nigeria 1982 : Ghana 1984 : Cameroon 1986 : Egypt 1988 : Cameroon 1990 : Algeria 1992 : Ivory Coast 1994 : Nigeria 1996 : South Africa 1998 : Egypt 2000 : Cameroon 2002 : Cameroon 2004 : Tunisia 2006 : Egypt 2008 : Egypt 2010 : Egypt 2012 : Zambia 2013 : Nigeria 2015 : Ivory Coast 2017 : Cameroon Finalists 2008 Africa Cup of Nations finalists Champions Egypt Runners - up Cameroon Third place Ghana Fourth place Ivory Coast Eliminated in quarter - finals Angola Guinea Nigeria Tunisia Eliminated in group stage Benin Mali Morocco Namibia Senegal South Africa Sudan Zambia Qualification Squads 2010 FIFA World Cup finalists Champions Spain Runners - up Netherlands Third place Germany Fourth place Uruguay Quarter - finals Argentina Brazil Ghana Paraguay Round of 16 Chile England Japan Mexico Portugal Slovakia South Korea United States Group stage Algeria Australia Cameroon Denmark France Greece Honduras Italy Ivory Coast New Zealand Nigeria North Korea Serbia Slovenia South Africa Switzerland 2013 Africa Cup of Nations finalists Winner Nigeria Second place Burkina Faso Third place Mali Fourth place Ghana Eliminated in quarterfinals Cape Verde Ivory Coast South Africa Togo Eliminated in group stage Algeria Angola Congo DR Ethiopia Morocco Niger Tunisia Zambia South Africa national football team results decades 2010s 1990s 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 National sports teams of South Africa Association football Australian rules football Badminton Baseball Basketball MU / 19 MU / 17 FU / 19 FU / 17 Beach soccer Cricket SA A Blind Field hockey Handball Ice hockey MU / 20 MU / 18 Korfball Netball Roller derby Roller hockey Rugby league Rugby union M - 7s W - 7s MU / 20 MU / 18 Softball FU / 19 Squash Tennis Davis Cup Fed Cup Hopman Cup Volleyball Water polo Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=South_Africa_national_football_team&oldid=866319816 '' Categories : South Africa national football team Africa Cup of Nations - winning countries African national association football teams National sports teams of South Africa Hidden categories : Webarchive template other archives All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from June 2010 Webarchive template wayback links Use South African English from April 2016 All Wikipedia articles written in South African English Use dmy dates from April 2016 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from July 2012 Commons category with local link different than on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Afrikaans አማርኛ Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Bosanski Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Basa Jawa Қазақша Kiswahili Kurdî Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Magyar मराठी Bahasa Melayu Nederlands नेपाली 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Simple English Slovenčina Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 粵語 中文 45 more Edit links This page was last edited on 29 October 2018, at 17 : 09 ( UTC ). 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Question: when did south africa win the african cup of nations
Answer: 1996