# South Africa at the Africa Cup of Nations

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Although the football team for South Africa participated in the Africa Cup of Nations much later than many African countries (the country was scheduled to participate in inaugural 1957 Africa Cup of Nations but was excluded because of apartheid), as they participated for the first time as host of 1996 edition, South Africa has soon established itself as an emerging African power. The first edition South Africa participated was a complete success, with the team conquered their first, and only African trophy, on their debut. Since then, South Africa continues to participate and remains a reckoned force, though success has been elusive since the 2000s. Outside the 1996 edition, South Africa also hosted 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and managed to advance to the quarter-finals. They again reached the quarter-finals in the 2019 edition of the tournament, and finished third at the 2023 tournament.

## Overall record

Africa Cup of Nations record :
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
| 1957 | Disqualified due to apartheid | Disqualified due to apartheid | Disqualified due to apartheid | Disqualified due to apartheid | Disqualified due to apartheid | Disqualified due to apartheid | Disqualified due to apartheid | Disqualified due to apartheid |
| 1959 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1962 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1963 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1965 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1968 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1970 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1972 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1974 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1976 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1978 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1980 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1982 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1984 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1986 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1988 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1990 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1992 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1994 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1996 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 2 |
| 1998 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 |
| 2000 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 |
| 2002 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 2004 | Group stage | 11th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 2006 | Group stage | 16th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 2008 | Group stage | 13th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 2010 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2012 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2013 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| 2015 | Group stage | 15th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 2017 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2019 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 2021 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2023 | Third place | 3rd | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 3 |
| 2025 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| 2027 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| Total | 1 Title | 11/34 | 50 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 55 | 48 |
    *Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.
| 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 | 16th place in 2006 |

## Match history

| Year | Date | Location | Round | Opponent | Result | South Africa scorers |
| 1996 | 13 January 1996 | Johannesburg | Group stage | Cameroon | 3–0 | Phil Masinga 15' Mark Williams 37' John Moshoeu 55' |
| 1996 | 20 January 1996 | Johannesburg | Group stage | Angola | 1–0 | Mark Williams 57' |
| 1996 | 24 January 1996 | Johannesburg | Group stage | Egypt | 0–1 | |
| 1996 | 27 January 1996 | Johannesburg | Quarter-finals | Algeria | 2–1 | Mark Fish 72' John Moshoeu 85' |
| 1996 | 31 January 1996 | Johannesburg | Semi-finals | Ghana | 3–0 | John Moshoeu 22', 87' Shaun Bartlett 46' |
| 1996 | 3 February 1996 | Johannesburg | Final | Tunisia | 2–0 | Mark Williams 73', 75' |
| 1998 | 8 February 1998 | Bobo-Dioulasso | Group stage | Angola | 0–0 | |
| 1998 | 11 February 1998 | Bobo-Dioulasso | Group stage | Ivory Coast | 1–1 | Helman Mkhalele 8' (pen.) |
| 1998 | 16 February 1998 | Bobo-Dioulasso | Group stage | Namibia | 4–1 | Benni McCarthy 8', 11', 19', 21' |
| 1998 | 22 February 1998 | Ouagadougou | Quarter-finals | Morocco | 2–1 | Benni McCarthy 22' David Nyathi 79' |
| 1998 | 25 February 1998 | Ouagadougou | Semi-finals | DR Congo | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Benni McCarthy 60', 112' |
| 1998 | 28 February 1998 | Ouagadougou | Final | Egypt | 0–2 | |
| 2000 | 23 January 2000 | Kumasi | Group stage | Gabon | 3–1 | Dumisa Ngobe 43' Shaun Bartlett 55', 78' |
| 2000 | 27 January 2000 | Kumasi | Group stage | DR Congo | 1–0 | Shaun Bartlett 44' |
| 2000 | 2 February 2000 | Kumasi | Group stage | Algeria | 1–1 | Shaun Bartlett 2' |
| 2000 | 6 February 2000 | Kumasi | Quarter-finals | Ghana | 1–0 | Siyabonga Nomvethe 42' |
| 2000 | 10 February 2000 | Lagos | Semi-finals | Nigeria | 0–2 | |
| 2000 | 12 February 2000 | Accra | Third place play-off | Tunisia | 2–2 (4–3 p) | Shaun Bartlett 11' Siyabonga Nomvethe 62' |
| 2002 | 20 January 2002 | Ségou | Group stage | Burkina Faso | 0–0 | |
| 2002 | 24 January 2002 | Ségou | Group stage | Ghana | 0–0 | |
| 2002 | 30 January 2002 | Ségou | Group stage | Morocco | 3–1 | Sibusiso Zuma 42' Thabo Mngomeni 48' Siyabonga Nomvethe 51' |
| 2002 | 3 February 2002 | Kayes | Quarter-finals | Mali | 0–2 | |
| 2004 | 27 January 2004 | Sfax | Group stage | Benin | 2–0 | Siyabonga Nomvethe 58', 76' |
| 2004 | 31 January 2004 | Monastir | Group stage | Nigeria | 0–4 | |
| 2004 | 4 February 2004 | Sousse | Group stage | Morocco | 1–1 | Patrick Mayo 29' |
| 2006 | 22 January 2006 | Alexandria | Group stage | Guinea | 0–2 | |
| 2006 | 26 January 2006 | Alexandria | Group stage | Tunisia | 0–2 | |
| 2006 | 30 January 2006 | Alexandria | Group stage | Zambia | 0–1 | |
| 2008 | 23 January 2008 | Tamale | Group stage | Angola | 1–1 | Elrio van Heerden 87' |
| 2008 | 27 January 2008 | Tamale | Group stage | Tunisia | 1–3 | Katlego Mphela 87' |
| 2008 | 31 January 2008 | Kumasi | Group stage | Senegal | 1–1 | Elrio van Heerden 14' |
| 2013 | 19 January 2013 | Johannesburg | Group stage | Cape Verde | 0–0 | |
| 2013 | 23 January 2013 | Durban | Group stage | Angola | 2–0 | Siyabonga Sangweni 30' Lehlohonolo Majoro 62' |
| 2013 | 27 January 2013 | Durban | Group stage | Morocco | 2–2 | May Mahlangu 71' Siyabonga Sangweni 86' |
| 2013 | 2 February 2013 | Durban | Quarter-finals | Mali | 1–1 (1–3 p) | Tokelo Rantie 31' |
| 2015 | 19 January 2015 | Mongomo | Group stage | Algeria | 1–3 | Thuso Phala 51' |
| 2015 | 23 January 2015 | Mongomo | Group stage | Senegal | 1–1 | Oupa Manyisa 47' |
| 2015 | 27 January 2015 | Mongomo | Group stage | Ghana | 1–2 | Mandla Masango 17' |
| 2019 | 24 June 2019 | Cairo | Group stage | Ivory Coast | 0–1 | |
| 2019 | 28 June 2019 | Cairo | Group stage | Namibia | 1–0 | Bongani Zungu 68' |
| 2019 | 1 July 2019 | Cairo | Group stage | Morocco | 0–1 | |
| 2019 | 6 July 2019 | Cairo | Round of 16 | Egypt | 1–0 | Thembinkosi Lorch 85' |
| 2019 | 10 July 2019 | Cairo | Quarter-finals | Nigeria | 1–2 | Bongani Zungu 71' |
| 2023 | 16 January 2024 | Korhogo | Group stage | Mali | 0–2 | |
| 2023 | 21 January 2024 | Korhogo | Group stage | Namibia | 4–0 | Percy Tau 14' (pen.) Themba Zwane 25', 40' Thapelo Maseko 75' |
| 2023 | 24 January 2024 | Korhogo | Group stage | Tunisia | 0–0 | |
| 2023 | 30 January 2024 | San Pédro | Round of 16 | Morocco | 2–0 | Thapelo Maseko 57' Teboho Mokoena 90+5' |
| 2023 | 3 February 2024 | Yamoussoukro | Quarter-finals | Cape Verde | 0–0 (2–1 p) | |
| 2023 | 7 February 2024 | Bouaké | Semi-finals | Nigeria | 1–1 (2–4 p) | Teboho Mokoena 90' (pen.) |
| 2023 | 10 February 2024 | Abidjan | Third place play-off | DR Congo | 0–0 (6–5 p) | |

## Top goalscorers

Phil Masinga was the first player to score for South Africa at the Africa Cup of Nations (1996). Benni McCarthy was the first and so far only player to score a hat-trick for South Africa at the tournament (1998).
| Rank | Player | Goals | Years (goals) |
| 1 | Benni McCarthy | 7 | 1998 |
| 2 | Shaun Bartlett | 6 | 1996 (1) and 2000 (5) |
| 3 | Siyabonga Nomvethe | 5 | 2000 (2), 2002 and 2004 (2) |
| 4 | John Moshoeu | 4 | 1996 |
| 4 | Mark Williams | 4 | 1996 |

## Squads

* 1996 Africa Cup of Nations squad
* 1998 Africa Cup of Nations squad
* 2000 Africa Cup of Nations squad
* 2002 Africa Cup of Nations squad
* 2004 Africa Cup of Nations squad
* 2006 Africa Cup of Nations squad
* 2008 Africa Cup of Nations squad
* 2013 Africa Cup of Nations squad
* 2015 Africa Cup of Nations squad
* 2019 Africa Cup of Nations squad
* 2023 Africa Cup of Nations squad