The South African national football team is one of the best soccer teams in Africa. Bafana Bafana (The boys) compete in the FIFA World Cup and the African Cup of Nations. One of the best moments was when they hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup competition.
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa’s men international soccer. The club’s governing body is the South African Football Association. The Bafana Bafana squad is based in Johannesburg, with the FNB Stadium serving as its home ground.
Get the latest updates on South Africa football news, schedule, fixtures,results, stats and table & standings at SportPesa Blog.
South Africa national football team profile summary
| Category | Details |
| Team Name | South Africa National Football Team |
| Nickname(s) | Bafana Bafana (“The Boys, The Boys”) |
| Location | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Home Stadium | FNB Stadium, Johannesburg |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Association (Crest) | South African Football Association (SAFA) |
| Confederation | CAF (Confederation of African Football) |
| Sub-Confederation | COSAFA (Council of Southern Africa Football Associations) |
| Head Coach / Manager | Hugo Broos |
| Captain | Ronwen Williams |
| Most Capped Player | Aaron Mokoena – 107 appearances |
| Top Scorer | Benni McCarthy – 31 goals |
| Team Colours / Kit | Traditional Yellow and Green |
| Shirt Badge / Association Crest | South African Football Association emblem |
| Current FIFA Ranking | 55 (as of 18 September 2025) |
| FIFA Code | RSA |
South Africa football squad
| Player | Position | Age | Club | Market Value |
| Sipho Chaine | Goalkeeper | 28 | Orlando Pirates | €1.00m |
| Ronwen Williams | Goalkeeper | 33 | Mamelodi Sundowns FC | €900k |
| Ricardo Goss | Goalkeeper | 31 | Siwelele Football Club | €400k |
| Siyabonga Ngezana | Centre-Back | 28 | FCSB | €3.50m |
| Thabo Moloisane | Centre-Back | 26 | Stellenbosch FC | €1.00m |
| Khulumani Ndamane | Centre-Back | 21 | TS Galaxy FC | €450k |
| Mbekezeli Mbokazi | Centre-Back | 20 | Orlando Pirates | €300k |
| Aubrey Modiba | Left-Back | 30 | Mamelodi Sundowns FC | €1.80m |
| Samukelo Kabini | Left-Back | 21 | Molde FK | €1.20m |
| Thabiso Monyane | Right-Back | 25 | Kaizer Chiefs | €850k |
| Nyiko Mobbie | Right-Back | 31 | Siwelele Football Club | €800k |
| Zuko Mdunyelwa | Right-Back | 26 | Mamelodi Sundowns FC | €600k |
| Teboho Mokoena | Defensive Midfield | 28 | Mamelodi Sundowns FC | €2.30m |
| Bathusi Aubaas | Defensive Midfield | 30 | Mamelodi Sundowns FC | €500k |
| Luke Le Roux | Central Midfield | 25 | Portsmouth FC | €1.00m |
| Thalente Mbatha | Central Midfield | 25 | Orlando Pirates | €1.00m |
| Sipho Mbule | Central Midfield | 27 | Orlando Pirates | €800k |
| Mduduzi Shabalala | Attacking Midfield | 21 | Kaizer Chiefs | €700k |
| Relebohile Mofokeng | Left Winger | 20 | Orlando Pirates | €1.60m |
| Oswin Appollis | Left Winger | 24 | Orlando Pirates | €850k |
| Mohau Nkota | Right Winger | 20 | Al-Ettifaq FC | €800k |
| Kamogelo Sebelebele | Right Winger | 23 | Orlando Pirates | €700k |
| Lyle Foster | Centre-Forward | 25 | Burnley FC | €6.00m |
| Iqraam Rayners | Centre-Forward | 29 | Mamelodi Sundowns FC | €2.40m |
Explore the latest news about South Africa national football team by reading this: South Africa lose World Cup qualifying points over ineligible player
Coaching staff
| Position | Staff | Nationality |
| Team Manager | Vincent Tseka | South Africa |
| Head Coach | Hugo Broos | Belgium |
| Assistant Coach | Helman Mkhalele | South Africa |
| Goalkeeper Coach | Grant Johnson | South Africa |
| Team Organiser | David Molwantwa | South Africa |
South Africa national football team stadium
Bafana Bafana’s plays it’s home soccer matches at the FNB Stadium (Soccer City), aslo known as the First Bank Stadium . The stadium was built and established in 1987. The great footbal ground is rooted to the African culture and traditions which is an inspiration from a calabash pot. FNB stadium is located in Johannesburg, South Africa and is the largest one in Africa with a capacity of up-to 94,736 people.
South Africa soccer team schedule
Results
| Fixture | Date | Score | Result |
| South Africa vs Nigeria | 09 Sep 2025 | 1–1 | D |
| Lesotho vs South Africa | 05 Sep 2025 | 0–3 | W |
| South Africa vs Uganda | 18 Aug 2025 | 3–3 | D |
| Niger vs South Africa | 15 Aug 2025 | 0–0 | D |
| South Africa vs Guinea | 11 Aug 2025 | 2–1 | W |
| Algeria vs South Africa | 08 Aug 2025 | 1–1 | D |
| South Africa vs Angola | 29 Jul 2025 | 1–1 | D |
| Angola vs South Africa | 15 Jun 2025 | 3–0 | L |
| South Africa vs Comoros | 13 Jun 2025 | 3–1 | W |
| South Africa vs Mozambique | 10 Jun 2025 | 2–0 | W |
Fixtures
| Fixture | Date | Time | Competition |
| Zimbabwe vs South Africa | 10 Oct 2025 | 19:00 | World Championship – Qualification |
| South Africa vs Rwanda | 14 Oct 2025 | 19:00 | World Championship – Qualification |
| South Africa vs Angola | 22 Dec 2025 | 22:30 | Africa Cup of Nations |
| Egypt vs South Africa | 26 Dec 2025 | 20:00 | Africa Cup of Nations |
| Zimbabwe vs South Africa | 29 Dec 2025 | 22:30 | Africa Cup of Nations |
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Bafana Bafana standings table
| Team | MP | W | D | L | Pts | GF | GA | GD |
| Benin | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 11 | 7 | +4 |
| South Africa | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 12 | 9 | +3 |
| Nigeria | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 9 | 7 | +2 |
| Rwanda | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Lesotho | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 10 | -3 |
| Zimbabwe | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 11 | -6 |
Team and player stats
Most caps
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
| 1 | Aaron Mokoena | 107 | 1 | 1999–2010 |
| 2 | Itumeleng Khune | 91 | 0 | 2008–2020 |
| 3 | Siphiwe Tshabalala | 89 | 12 | 2006–2017 |
| 4 | Siyabonga Nomvethe | 82 | 16 | 1999–2012 |
| 5 | Benni McCarthy | 81 | 31 | 1997–2012 |
| 6 | Shaun Bartlett | 74 | 29 | 1995–2005 |
| 7 | John Moshoeu | 73 | 8 | 1992–2004 |
| 7 | Bernard Parker | 73 | 23 | 2007–2015 |
| 9 | Delron Buckley | 72 | 10 | 1999–2008 |
| 10 | Lucas Radebe | 70 | 2 | 1992–2003 |
Most goals
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
| 1 | Benni McCarthy | 31 | 81 | 0.39 | 1997–2012 |
| 2 | Shaun Bartlett | 29 | 74 | 0.38 | 1995–2005 |
| 3 | Katlego Mphela | 23 | 53 | 0.43 | 2005–2013 |
| 3 | Bernard Parker | 23 | 73 | 0.32 | 2007–2015 |
| 5 | Phil Masinga | 18 | 58 | 0.33 | 1992–2001 |
| 6 | Percy Tau | 16 | 52 | 0.31 | 2015–present |
| 6 | Siyabonga Nomvethe | 16 | 82 | 0.20 | 1999–2012 |
| 8 | Tokelo Rantie | 13 | 41 | 0.32 | 2012–2017 |
| 8 | Sibusiso Zuma | 13 | 67 | 0.19 | 1998–2008 |
| 10 | Themba Zwane | 12 | 51 | 0.24 | 2014–present |
| 10 | Siphiwe Tshabalala | 12 | 89 | 0.13 | 2006–2017 |
Performance in different competitions
| Tournament | Appearances | First Appearance | Best Result |
| FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1998 | Group Stage (1998, 2002, 2010) |
| Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) | 12 | 1996 | Champions (1996) |
| CONCACAF Gold Cup | 1 | 2005 | Quarter-finals (2005) |
| African Nations Championship (CHAN) | 2 | 2011 | Quarter-finals (2011) |
| FIFA Confederations Cup | 2 | 2009 | Fourth Place (2009) |
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Achievements and honors
| Category | Competition | Achievements | Years |
| Intercontinental | Afro-Asian Cup of Nations | Champions (1) | 1997 |
| Continental | CAF Africa Cup of Nations | Champions (1) | 1996 |
| Runners-up (1) | 1998 | ||
| Third place (2) | 2000, 2023 | ||
| Regional | COSAFA Cup | Champions (5) | 2002, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2021 |
| Runners-up (1) | 2025 | ||
| Third place (4) | 2000, 2005, 2013, 2023 | ||
| Friendly Tournament | Four Nations Tournament | Champions (1) | 2018 |
| Awards | FIFA Best Mover of the Year | Winner | 1996 |
| African National Team of the Year | Winner | 1996 | |
| FIFA Confederations Cup Fair Play Award | Winner | 1997 | |
| Africa Cup of Nations Fair Play Award | Winner | 2023 |
FAQs about the South Africa national football team
How much do Bafana Bafana players get paid?
Bafana players receive R60,000 for a win and R30,000 for a draw each. The salary is for both official matches and international friendlies.
What does Bafana Bafana mean in Zulu?
Bafana Bafana in Zulu means the boys. It is the nickname for the South African men’s football squad.
Why did Bafana Bafana deduct 3 points?
Bafana Bafana were deducted 3 points for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in their match against Lesotho.
Who is the richest team in South Africa 2025?
Mamelodi Sundowns is the wealthiest team in South Africa. It has a market value of €33 million plus.
Conclusion
The Bafana Bafana’s are known for their unique and skillful playing style called Diski. The team has played in several FIFA World Cup games, including the 1998, 2002, and 2010 seasons. The South Africa national football team is a proud symbol of football excellence.
ALSO READ: South Africa lose World Cup qualifying points over an ineligible player