# South Africa at the FIFA World Cup

This is a record of South Africa's results at the FIFA World Cup. The FIFA World Cup, sometimes called the Football World Cup, usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946, due to World War II.
The tournament consists of two parts, the qualification phase, and the final phase (officially called the World Cup Finals). The qualification phase, which currently take place over the three years preceding the Finals, is used to determine which teams qualify for the Finals. The current format of the Finals involves 32 teams competing for the title, at venues within the host nation (or nations) over a period of about a month. The World Cup Finals is the most widely viewed sporting event in the world, with an estimated 715.1 million people watching the 2006 tournament final.
South Africa have appeared in the FIFA World Cup on three occasions in 1998, 2002, and as hosts in 2010.
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 FIFA 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 goals scored. The team failed to qualify for the 2006 FIFA 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 on their home soil, 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, becoming the first World Cup host nation to fail to advance past the group stage.

## FIFA World Cup record

FIFA World Cup record :
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
| 1930 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1934 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1938 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1950 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1954 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1958 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1962 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1966 | Not admitted | Not admitted | Not admitted | Not admitted | Not admitted | Not admitted | Not admitted | Not admitted |
| 1970 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1974 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1978 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1982 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1986 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1990 | 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 |
| 1998 | Group stage | 24th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 2002 | Group stage | 17th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| 2006 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2010 | Group stage | 20th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 2014 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2018 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2022 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2026 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| 2030 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| 2034 | 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 | Group stage | 3/25 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 16 |
    *Denotes draws including knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
    **Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.
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) France 1–2 South Africa (22 June 2010; Bloemfontein, South Africa) |
| Biggest Defeat | France 3–0 South Africa (12 June 1998; Marseille, France) South Africa 0–3 Uruguay (16 June 2010; Pretoria, South Africa) |
| Best Result | 17th place at the 2002 World Cup |
| Worst Result | 24th place at the 1998 World Cup |

## France 1998

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | France (H) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Denmark | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | South Africa | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 2 | |
| 4 | Saudi Arabia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 1 | |
Head coach: Philippe Troussier
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club |
| 1 | 1GK | Hans Vonk | (1970-01-30)30 January 1970 (aged 28) | 0 | Heerenveen |
| 2 | 2DF | Themba Mnguni | (1973-12-16)16 December 1973 (aged 24) | 3 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| 3 | 2DF | David Nyathi | (1969-03-22)22 March 1969 (aged 29) | 35 | St. Gallen |
| 4 | 2DF | Willem Jackson | (1972-03-26)26 March 1972 (aged 26) | 12 | Orlando Pirates |
| 5 | 2DF | Mark Fish | (1974-03-14)14 March 1974 (aged 24) | 37 | Bolton Wanderers |
| 6 | 4FW | Phil Masinga | (1969-06-28)28 June 1969 (aged 28) | 41 | Bari |
| 7 | 3MF | Quinton Fortune | (1977-05-21)21 May 1977 (aged 21) | 6 | Atlético Madrid |
| 8 | 3MF | Alfred Phiri | (1974-06-22)22 June 1974 (aged 23) | 2 | Vanspor |
| 9 | 4FW | Shaun Bartlett | (1972-10-31)31 October 1972 (aged 25) | 29 | Cape Town Spurs |
| 10 | 3MF | John Moshoeu | (1965-12-18)18 December 1965 (aged 32) | 44 | Fenerbahçe |
| 11 | 3MF | Helman Mkhalele | (1969-10-20)20 October 1969 (aged 28) | 35 | Kayserispor |
| 12 | 4FW | Brendan Augustine | (1971-10-26)26 October 1971 (aged 26) | 26 | LASK Linz |
| 13 | 4FW | Delron Buckley | (1977-12-07)7 December 1977 (aged 20) | 0 | VfL Bochum |
| 14 | 4FW | Jerry Sikhosana | (1969-06-08)8 June 1969 (aged 29) | 9 | Orlando Pirates |
| 15 | 3MF | Doctor Khumalo | (1967-06-26)26 June 1967 (aged 30) | 43 | Kaizer Chiefs |
| 16 | 1GK | Brian Baloyi | (1974-03-16)16 March 1974 (aged 24) | 8 | Kaizer Chiefs |
| 17 | 4FW | Benni McCarthy | (1977-11-12)12 November 1977 (aged 20) | 10 | Ajax |
| 18 | 3MF | Lebohang Morula | (1968-12-22)22 December 1968 (aged 29) | 0 | Vanspor |
| 19 | 2DF | Lucas Radebe (c) | (1969-04-12)12 April 1969 (aged 29) | 41 | Leeds United |
| 20 | 3MF | William Mokoena | (1975-03-31)31 March 1975 (aged 23) | 0 | Manning Rangers |
| 21 | 2DF | Pierre Issa | (1975-09-12)12 September 1975 (aged 22) | 1 | Marseille |
| 22 | 1GK | Paul Evans* | (1973-12-28)28 December 1973 (aged 24) | 0 | Supersport United |
| 23 | 1GK | Simon Gopane* | (1970-12-26)26 December 1970 (aged 27) | 1 | Bloemfontein Celtic |
* Andre Arendse (#22) was injured before the start of the tournament. His replacement, Paul Evans, was also injured shortly after arriving as a replacement. Simon Gopane was then called up, and sat on the bench for the last two matches.

### France vs South Africa

| GK | 16 | Fabien Barthez |
| RB | 15 | Lilian Thuram |
| CB | 8 | Marcel Desailly |
| CB | 5 | Laurent Blanc |
| LB | 3 | Bixente Lizarazu |
| CM | 7 | Didier Deschamps (c) | 53' |
| CM | 17 | Emmanuel Petit | 28' | 73' |
| RW | 6 | Youri Djorkaeff | | 84' |
| AM | 10 | Zinedine Zidane | 75' |
| LW | 12 | Thierry Henry |
| CF | 9 | Stéphane Guivarc'h | | 26' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 21 | Christophe Dugarry | | 26' |
| MF | 14 | Alain Boghossian | | 73' |
| FW | 20 | David Trezeguet | | 84' |
| Manager: ||
| Aimé Jacquet ||
| GK | 1 | Hans Vonk |
| DF | 3 | David Nyathi |
| DF | 4 | Willem Jackson | 39' |
| DF | 5 | Mark Fish |
| DF | 19 | Lucas Radebe (c) |
| DF | 21 | Pierre Issa |
| MF | 7 | Quinton Fortune |
| MF | 10 | John Moshoeu |
| FW | 6 | Phil Masinga |
| FW | 12 | Brendan Augustine | | 56' |
| FW | 17 | Benni McCarthy | | 89' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 11 | Helman Mkhalele | | 56' |
| FW | 9 | Shaun Bartlett | | 89' |
| Manager: ||
| Philippe Troussier ||
* Assistant referees:
* Arnaldo Pinto (Brazil)
* Merere Gonzales (Trinidad and Tobago)
* Fourth official:
* Mario Sánchez Yanten (Chile)

### South Africa vs Denmark

Benni McCarthy scored South Africa's first ever goal in the World Cup when he received the ball on the edge of the penalty box before shooting low left footed through the legs of Peter Schmeichel to level the match.
| GK | 1 | Hans Vonk |
| DF | 3 | David Nyathi | 28' | 88' |
| DF | 5 | Mark Fish |
| DF | 19 | Lucas Radebe (c) | 73' |
| DF | 21 | Pierre Issa | 63' |
| MF | 7 | Quinton Fortune |
| MF | 10 | John Moshoeu |
| MF | 11 | Helman Mkhalele |
| FW | 9 | Shaun Bartlett | | 77' |
| FW | 12 | Brendan Augustine | | 46' |
| FW | 17 | Benni McCarthy |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 8 | Alfred Phiri | 65' 68' | 46' |
| FW | 6 | Phil Masinga | | 77' |
| FW | 13 | Delron Buckley | | 88' |
| Manager: ||
| Philippe Troussier ||
| GK | 1 | Peter Schmeichel | 57' |
| DF | 2 | Michael Schjønberg | 23' | 82' |
| DF | 3 | Marc Rieper |
| DF | 4 | Jes Høgh | 56' |
| DF | 6 | Thomas Helveg |
| DF | 12 | Søren Colding |
| MF | 7 | Allan Nielsen |
| MF | 10 | Michael Laudrup (c) | | 58' |
| MF | 21 | Martin Jørgensen |
| FW | 11 | Brian Laudrup |
| FW | 19 | Ebbe Sand | | 58' |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 5 | Jan Heintze | | 58' |
| FW | 9 | Miklos Molnar | 66' | 58' |
| MF | 14 | Morten Wieghorst | 85' | 82' |
| Manager: ||
| Bo Johansson ||
* Assistant referees:
* Jorge Luis Arango (Colombia)
* Celestino Galván (Paraguay)
* Fourth official:
* Epifanio González (Paraguay)

### South Africa vs Saudi Arabia

| GK | 1 | Hans Vonk |
| DF | 3 | David Nyathi |
| DF | 4 | Willem Jackson | | 46' |
| DF | 5 | Mark Fish |
| DF | 19 | Lucas Radebe (c) | 65' |
| DF | 21 | Pierre Issa |
| MF | 7 | Quinton Fortune | 38' | 67' |
| MF | 10 | John Moshoeu |
| MF | 11 | Helman Mkhalele |
| FW | 9 | Shaun Bartlett |
| FW | 17 | Benni McCarthy | | 46' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 13 | Delron Buckley | | 46' |
| FW | 14 | Jerry Sikhosana | | 46' |
| MF | 15 | Doctor Khumalo | | 67' |
| Manager: ||
| Philippe Troussier ||
| GK | 1 | Mohamed Al-Deayea |
| DF | 2 | Mohammed Al-Jahani |
| DF | 4 | Abdullah Zubromawi |
| DF | 13 | Hussein Sulaimani |
| MF | 6 | Fuad Amin (c) |
| MF | 16 | Khamis Al-Owairan | 30' |
| MF | 18 | Nawaf Al-Temyat |
| MF | 20 | Hamzah Saleh |
| FW | 9 | Sami Al-Jaber |
| FW | 11 | Fahad Al-Mehallel | | 64' |
| FW | 15 | Yousuf Al-Thunayan | | 81' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 7 | Ibrahim Al-Shahrani | | 64' |
| MF | 12 | Ibrahim Al-Harbi | | 81' |
| Manager: ||
| Mohammed Al-Kharashy ||
* Assistant referees:
* Owen Powell (Jamaica)
* Eddie Foley (Ireland)
* Fourth official:
* Alberto Tejada Noriega (Peru)

## Korea/Japan 2002

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Spain | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | South Africa | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 | |
| 4 | Slovenia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 0 | |
Head coach: Jomo Sono
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club |
| 1 | 1GK | Hans Vonk | (1970-01-30)30 January 1970 (aged 32) | 29 | Heerenveen |
| 2 | 2DF | Cyril Nzama | (1974-06-26)26 June 1974 (aged 27) | 19 | Kaizer Chiefs |
| 3 | 2DF | Bradley Carnell | (1977-01-21)21 January 1977 (aged 25) | 21 | VfB Stuttgart |
| 4 | 2DF | Aaron Mokoena | (1980-11-25)25 November 1980 (aged 21) | 22 | Beerschot |
| 5 | 2DF | Jacob Lekgetho | (1974-03-24)24 March 1974 (aged 28) | 15 | Lokomotiv Moscow |
| 6 | 3MF | MacBeth Sibaya | (1977-11-25)25 November 1977 (aged 24) | 9 | Jomo Cosmos |
| 7 | 3MF | Quinton Fortune | (1977-05-21)21 May 1977 (aged 25) | 39 | Manchester United |
| 8 | 3MF | Thabo Mngomeni | (1969-06-24)24 June 1969 (aged 32) | 37 | Orlando Pirates |
| 9 | 3MF | MacDonald Mukansi | (1975-05-26)26 May 1975 (aged 27) | 7 | Lokomotiv Sofia |
| 10 | 3MF | Bennett Mnguni | (1974-03-18)18 March 1974 (aged 28) | 9 | Lokomotiv Moscow |
| 11 | 3MF | Jabu Pule | (1980-07-11)11 July 1980 (aged 21) | 9 | Kaizer Chiefs |
| 12 | 3MF | Teboho Mokoena | (1974-07-10)10 July 1974 (aged 27) | 10 | St. Gallen |
| 13 | 2DF | Pierre Issa | (1975-09-12)12 September 1975 (aged 26) | 41 | Watford |
| 14 | 4FW | Siyabonga Nomvethe | (1977-12-02)2 December 1977 (aged 24) | 30 | Udinese |
| 15 | 3MF | Sibusiso Zuma | (1975-06-23)23 June 1975 (aged 26) | 22 | Copenhagen |
| 16 | 1GK | André Arendse | (1967-06-27)27 June 1967 (aged 34) | 49 | Santos Cape Town |
| 17 | 4FW | Benni McCarthy | (1977-11-12)12 November 1977 (aged 24) | 43 | Porto |
| 18 | 3MF | Delron Buckley | (1977-12-07)7 December 1977 (aged 24) | 32 | VfL Bochum |
| 19 | 2DF | Lucas Radebe (c) | (1969-04-12)12 April 1969 (aged 33) | 65 | Leeds United |
| 20 | 1GK | Calvin Marlin | (1976-04-20)20 April 1976 (aged 26) | 2 | Ajax Cape Town |
| 21 | 3MF | Steven Pienaar | (1982-03-17)17 March 1982 (aged 20) | 0 | Ajax |
| 22 | 2DF | Thabang Molefe | (1979-04-11)11 April 1979 (aged 23) | 5 | Jomo Cosmos |
| 23 | 4FW | George Koumantarakis | (1974-03-27)27 March 1974 (aged 28) | 6 | Basel |

### Paraguay vs South Africa

| Paraguay | South Africa |
| GK | 22 | Ricardo Tavarelli | 90' |
| CB | 18 | Julio César Cáceres | 35' |
| CB | 5 | Celso Ayala |
| CB | 4 | Carlos Gamarra (c) |
| RWB | 2 | Francisco Arce |
| LWB | 21 | Denis Caniza | 65' |
| CM | 10 | Roberto Miguel Acuña |
| CM | 6 | Estanislao Struway | | 86' |
| CM | 8 | Guido Alvarenga | | 66' |
| AM | 11 | Jorge Campos | | 73' |
| CF | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 14 | Diego Gavilán | | 66' |
| MF | 16 | Gustavo Morínigo | | 73' |
| DF | 17 | Juan Carlos Franco | 90+3' | 86' |
| Manager: ||
| Cesare Maldini ||
| GK | 16 | Andre Arendse |
| RB | 4 | Aaron Mokoena | 3' |
| CB | 13 | Pierre Issa | 9' | 27' |
| CB | 19 | Lucas Radebe (c) |
| LB | 3 | Bradley Carnell |
| RM | 2 | Cyril Nzama |
| CM | 12 | Teboho Mokoena |
| CM | 6 | MacBeth Sibaya |
| LM | 7 | Quinton Fortune |
| CF | 17 | Benni McCarthy | 38' | 78' |
| CF | 15 | Sibusiso Zuma | 45+2' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 9 | MacDonald Mukasi | | 27' |
| FW | 23 | George Koumantarakis | | 78' |
| Manager: ||
| Jomo Sono ||
* Man of the Match:
* Francisco Arce (Paraguay)
* Assistant referees:
* Igor Šramka (Slovakia)
* Curtis Charles (Antigua and Barbuda)
* Fourth official:
* Hugh Dallas (Scotland)

### South Africa vs Slovenia

Siyabonga Nomvethe scored the only goal of the game, in the fourth minute. A free kick from Quinton Fortune on the left came to Nomvethe and although he mistimed his header, the ball cannoned into the net off his thigh.
| South Africa | Slovenia |
| GK | 16 | Andre Arendse |
| RB | 2 | Cyril Nzama |
| CB | 4 | Aaron Mokoena |
| CB | 19 | Lucas Radebe (c) | 12' |
| LB | 3 | Bradley Carnell |
| RM | 15 | Sibusiso Zuma |
| CM | 6 | MacBeth Sibaya |
| CM | 12 | Teboho Mokoena |
| LM | 7 | Quinton Fortune | | 84' |
| CF | 14 | Siyabonga Nomvethe | | 71' |
| CF | 17 | Benni McCarthy | | 80' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 18 | Delron Buckley | | 71' |
| FW | 23 | George Koumantarakis | | 80' |
| MF | 11 | Jabu Pule | | 84' |
| Manager: ||
| Jomo Sono ||
| GK | 1 | Marko Simeunovič |
| CB | 3 | Željko Milinovič | 52' |
| CB | 4 | Muamer Vugdalič | 35' |
| CB | 6 | Aleksander Knavs | | 60' |
| RM | 7 | Đoni Novak |
| CM | 11 | Miran Pavlin | 75' |
| CM | 8 | Aleš Čeh (c) | 62' |
| LM | 19 | Amir Karić |
| AM | 18 | Milenko Ačimovič | | 60' |
| CF | 21 | Sebastjan Cimirotič | | 41' |
| CF | 13 | Mladen Rudonja |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 9 | Milan Osterc | | 41' |
| MF | 20 | Nastja Čeh | | 60' |
| DF | 22 | Spasoje Bulajič | | 60' |
| Manager: ||
| Srečko Katanec ||
* Man of the Match:
* Quinton Fortune (South Africa)
* Assistant referees:
* Jorge Rattalino (Argentina)
* Ali Al Traifi (Saudi Arabia)
* Fourth official:
* Jan Wegereef (Netherlands)

### South Africa vs Spain

| South Africa | Spain |
| GK | 16 | Andre Arendse |
| RB | 2 | Cyril Nzama | 16' |
| CB | 4 | Aaron Mokoena | 81' |
| CB | 19 | Lucas Radebe (c) | | 80' |
| LB | 3 | Bradley Carnell | 67' |
| RM | 15 | Sibusiso Zuma |
| CM | 6 | MacBeth Sibaya |
| CM | 12 | Teboho Mokoena |
| LM | 7 | Quinton Fortune | | 83' |
| CF | 17 | Benni McCarthy |
| CF | 14 | Siyabonga Nomvethe | 69' | 74' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 23 | George Koumantarakis | | 74' |
| DF | 22 | Thabang Molefe | | 80' |
| DF | 5 | Jacob Lekgetho | | 83' |
| Manager: ||
| Jomo Sono ||
| GK | 1 | Iker Casillas |
| RB | 2 | Curro Torres |
| CB | 4 | Iván Helguera |
| CB | 20 | Miguel Ángel Nadal (c) |
| LB | 15 | Enrique Romero |
| RM | 22 | Joaquín |
| CM | 19 | Xavi |
| CM | 14 | David Albelda | 53' |
| LM | 16 | Gaizka Mendieta |
| CF | 7 | Raúl | 82' |
| CF | 9 | Fernando Morientes | 77' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 18 | Sergio | 53' |
| FW | 12 | Albert Luque | 77' |
| MF | 21 | Luis Enrique | 82' |
| Manager: ||
| José Antonio Camacho ||
* Man of the Match:
* Raúl (Spain)
* Assistant referees:
* Jorge Rattalino (Argentina)
* Awni Hassouneh (Jordan)
* Fourth official:
* Mohamed Guezzaz (Morocco)

## South Africa 2010

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Uruguay | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Mexico | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | South Africa (H) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 4 | |
| 4 | France | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 | |
Coach: Carlos Alberto Parreira
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club |
| 1 | 1GK | Moeneeb Josephs | (1980-05-19)19 May 1980 (aged 30) | 17 | Orlando Pirates |
| 2 | 2DF | Siboniso Gaxa | (1984-04-06)6 April 1984 (aged 26) | 37 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| 3 | 2DF | Tsepo Masilela | (1985-05-05)5 May 1985 (aged 25) | 31 | Maccabi Haifa |
| 4 | 2DF | Aaron Mokoena (c) | (1980-11-25)25 November 1980 (aged 29) | 101 | Portsmouth |
| 5 | 2DF | Anele Ngcongca | (1987-10-20)20 October 1987 (aged 22) | 5 | Genk |
| 6 | 3MF | MacBeth Sibaya | (1977-11-25)25 November 1977 (aged 32) | 58 | Rubin Kazan |
| 7 | 3MF | Lance Davids | (1985-04-11)11 April 1985 (aged 25) | 22 | Ajax Cape Town |
| 8 | 3MF | Siphiwe Tshabalala | (1984-09-25)25 September 1984 (aged 25) | 48 | Kaizer Chiefs |
| 9 | 4FW | Katlego Mphela | (1984-11-29)29 November 1984 (aged 25) | 31 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| 10 | 3MF | Steven Pienaar | (1982-03-17)17 March 1982 (aged 28) | 50 | Everton |
| 11 | 3MF | Teko Modise | (1982-12-22)22 December 1982 (aged 27) | 52 | Orlando Pirates |
| 12 | 3MF | Reneilwe Letsholonyane | (1982-06-09)9 June 1982 (aged 28) | 13 | Kaizer Chiefs |
| 13 | 3MF | Kagisho Dikgacoi | (1984-11-24)24 November 1984 (aged 25) | 37 | Fulham |
| 14 | 2DF | Matthew Booth | (1977-03-14)14 March 1977 (aged 33) | 27 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| 15 | 2DF | Lucas Thwala | (1981-10-19)19 October 1981 (aged 28) | 24 | Orlando Pirates |
| 16 | 1GK | Itumeleng Khune | (1987-06-20)20 June 1987 (aged 22) | 27 | Kaizer Chiefs |
| 17 | 4FW | Bernard Parker | (1986-03-16)16 March 1986 (aged 24) | 28 | Twente |
| 18 | 4FW | Siyabonga Nomvethe | (1977-12-02)2 December 1977 (aged 32) | 76 | Moroka Swallows |
| 19 | 3MF | Surprise Moriri | (1980-03-20)20 March 1980 (aged 30) | 34 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| 20 | 2DF | Bongani Khumalo | (1987-01-06)6 January 1987 (aged 23) | 14 | Supersport United |
| 21 | 2DF | Siyabonga Sangweni | (1981-09-29)29 September 1981 (aged 28) | 8 | Golden Arrows |
| 22 | 1GK | Shu-Aib Walters | (1981-12-26)26 December 1981 (aged 28) | 0 | Maritzburg United |
| 23 | 3MF | Thanduyise Khuboni | (1986-05-23)23 May 1986 (aged 24) | 9 | Golden Arrows |

### South Africa vs Mexico

South Africa vs Mexico was the opening match of the World Cup, held on 11 June 2010. It was described as an "enthralling" and "pulsating" match. South Africa opened the scoring in the 55th minute after Siphiwe Tshabalala scored off a pass through Mexico's defence by Teko Modise. Mexico's captain Rafael Márquez equalised following a corner kick in the 79th minute. In the final minutes of the match, Katlego Mphela almost scored a winning goal for South Africa, but his shot bounced off the post.
Tshabalala was named as the man of the match. South Africa's coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira called the result "fair", while Mexico's coach Javier Aguirre stated "we could have won, we could have lost".
| South Africa | Mexico |
| GK | 16 | Itumeleng Khune |
| RB | 2 | Siboniso Gaxa |
| CB | 4 | Aaron Mokoena (c) |
| CB | 20 | Bongani Khumalo |
| LB | 15 | Lucas Thwala | | 46' |
| RM | 8 | Siphiwe Tshabalala |
| CM | 13 | Kagisho Dikgacoi | 27' |
| CM | 12 | Reneilwe Letsholonyane |
| LW | 11 | Teko Modise |
| SS | 10 | Steven Pienaar | | 83' |
| CF | 9 | Katlego Mphela |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 3 | Tsepo Masilela | 70' | 46' |
| FW | 17 | Bernard Parker | | 83' |
| Manager: ||
| Carlos Alberto Parreira ||
| GK | 1 | Óscar Pérez |
| RB | 12 | Paul Aguilar | | 55' |
| CB | 5 | Ricardo Osorio |
| CB | 2 | Francisco Javier Rodríguez |
| LB | 3 | Carlos Salcido |
| DM | 4 | Rafael Márquez |
| CM | 16 | Efraín Juárez | 18' |
| CM | 6 | Gerardo Torrado (c) | 57' |
| RW | 17 | Giovani dos Santos |
| LW | 11 | Carlos Vela | | 69' |
| CF | 9 | Guillermo Franco | | 73' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 18 | Andrés Guardado | | 55' |
| FW | 10 | Cuauhtémoc Blanco | | 69' |
| FW | 14 | Javier Hernández | | 73' |
| Manager: ||
| Javier Aguirre ||
* Man of the Match:
* Siphiwe Tshabalala (South Africa)
* Assistant referees:
* Rafael Ilyasov (Uzbekistan)
* Bakhadyr Kochkarov (Kyrgyzstan)
* Fourth official:
* Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh (Malaysia)
* Fifth official:
* Mu Yuxin (China)

### South Africa vs Uruguay

| South Africa | Uruguay |
| GK | 16 | Itumeleng Khune | 76' |
| RB | 2 | Siboniso Gaxa |
| CB | 4 | Aaron Mokoena (c) |
| CB | 20 | Bongani Khumalo |
| LB | 3 | Tsepo Masilela |
| RM | 8 | Siphiwe Tshabalala |
| CM | 13 | Kagisho Dikgacoi | 42' |
| CM | 12 | Reneilwe Letsholonyane | | 57' |
| LW | 11 | Teko Modise |
| SS | 10 | Steven Pienaar | 6' | 79' |
| CF | 9 | Katlego Mphela |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 19 | Surprise Moriri | | 57' |
| GK | 1 | Moeneeb Josephs | | 79' |
| Manager: ||
| Carlos Alberto Parreira ||
| GK | 1 | Fernando Muslera |
| RB | 16 | Maxi Pereira |
| CB | 2 | Diego Lugano (c) |
| CB | 3 | Diego Godín |
| LB | 4 | Jorge Fucile | 71' |
| DM | 15 | Diego Pérez | 90' |
| RM | 17 | Egidio Arévalo Ríos |
| LM | 11 | Álvaro Pereira |
| AM | 10 | Diego Forlán |
| CF | 9 | Luis Suárez |
| CF | 7 | Edinson Cavani | 89' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 20 | Álvaro Fernández | 71' |
| FW | 21 | Sebastián Fernández | 89' |
| MF | 5 | Walter Gargano | 90' |
| Manager: ||
| Óscar Tabárez ||
* Man of the Match:
* Diego Forlán (Uruguay)
* Assistant referees:
* Matthias Arnet (Switzerland)
* Francesco Buragina (Switzerland)
* Fourth official:
* Wolfgang Stark (Germany)
* Fifth official:
* Jan-Hendrik Salver (Germany)

### France vs South Africa

Two teams have met three times but recently in the 1998 FIFA World Cup won by France 3–0.
Bongani Khumalo scored the first goal to make it 1–0 in 25th minute Yoann Gourcuff was shown a red card after a serious foul, Katlego Mphela made it 2–0 in half-time, South Africa made several chances in second half, Hugo Lloris saved Katlego Mphela's shot to make a third goal, Bacary Sagna made a back pass to the French player Florent Malouda scored a goal to make it 2–1 from an assist by Franck Ribéry, South Africa made even more chances in second half, 2-1 was the final score of the match. France were eliminated from the World Cup with a single point in the Group stage.
Although South Africa became the first host nation to exit the World Cup group stage in history.
| France | South Africa |
| GK | 1 | Hugo Lloris |
| RB | 2 | Bacary Sagna |
| CB | 5 | William Gallas |
| CB | 17 | Sébastien Squillaci |
| LB | 22 | Gaël Clichy |
| CM | 18 | Alou Diarra (c) | | 82' |
| CM | 19 | Abou Diaby | 71' |
| RW | 11 | André-Pierre Gignac | | 46' |
| AM | 8 | Yoann Gourcuff | 25' |
| LW | 7 | Franck Ribéry |
| CF | 9 | Djibril Cissé | | 55' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 15 | Florent Malouda | | 46' |
| FW | 12 | Thierry Henry | | 55' |
| FW | 10 | Sidney Govou | | 82' |
| Manager: ||
| Raymond Domenech ||
| GK | 1 | Moeneeb Josephs |
| RB | 5 | Anele Ngcongca | 55' |
| CB | 4 | Aaron Mokoena (c) |
| CB | 20 | Bongani Khumalo |
| LB | 3 | Tsepo Masilela |
| CM | 6 | MacBeth Sibaya |
| CM | 23 | Thanduyise Khuboni | 78' |
| RW | 10 | Steven Pienaar |
| LW | 8 | Siphiwe Tshabalala |
| CF | 9 | Katlego Mphela |
| CF | 17 | Bernard Parker | 68' |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 2 | Siboniso Gaxa | 55' |
| FW | 18 | Siyabonga Nomvethe | 68' |
| MF | 11 | Teko Modise | 78' |
| Manager: ||
| Carlos Alberto Parreira ||
* Man of the Match:
* Katlego Mphela (South Africa)
* Assistant referees:
* Abraham González (Colombia)
* Humberto Clavijo (Colombia)
* Fourth official:
* Héctor Baldassi (Argentina)
* Fifth official:
* Ricardo Casas (Argentina)

## Record players

| Rank | Player | Matches | World Cups |
| 1 | Quinton Fortune | 6 | 1998 and 2002 |
| 1 | Benni McCarthy | 6 | 1998 and 2002 |
| 1 | Lucas Radebe | 6 | 1998 and 2002 |
| 1 | Aaron Mokoena | 6 | 2002 and 2010 |
| 5 | Pierre Issa | 4 | 1998 and 2002 |
| 5 | MacBeth Sibaya | 4 | 2002 and 2010 |
| 7 | 21 players | 3 | |

## Top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Goals | World Cups |
| 1 | Shaun Bartlett | 2 | 1998 |
| 1 | Benni McCarthy | 2 | 1998 and 2002 |
| 3 | Quinton Fortune | 1 | 2002 |
| 3 | Teboho Mokoena | 1 | 2002 |
| 3 | Siyabonga Nomvethe | 1 | 2002 |
| 3 | Lucas Radebe | 1 | 2002 |
| 3 | Bongani Khumalo | 1 | 2010 |
| 3 | Katlego Mphela | 1 | 2010 |
| 3 | Siphiwe Tshabalala | 1 | 2010 |