World Cup History World Cup 2010 WC 2010 - Nations Qualified South Africa
South Africa National Soccer Team
Quick Facts:
- Nickname – Bafana Bafana (The boys, the boys)
- Home Stadium – First National Bank Stadium
- Confederation – CAF
- Manager – Carlos Alberto Parreira
- All Time High Scorer: Benni McCarthy with 32 goals in 77 appearances
- Most Appearances: Aaron Mokoena with 94 appearances
Prior World Cup Results:
- 1998: Round One
- 2002: Round One
Analysis:
World Cup History – Bafana Bafana went out in the first round of both of the two previous FIFA World Cup competitions that they have qualified for – 1998 and 2002 – and they qualify for 2010 as hosts.Thanks to the country’s apartheid regime, South African soccer players were excluded from international competition for almost 50 years. But in 1992, FIFA made the decision to allow the now racially diverse South African national soccer team back into the fold and allow them the chance to return to the world soccer stage.
The team, known locally as Bafana Bafana (The Boys), have come a long way since then. Their first international triumph came a mere four years after their readmission, when the team surprised the soccer world by winning their first African Cup of Nations title by beating the heavily favored Tunisia at home, in front of thousands of cheering fans at Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium.
The team has also qualified for two of the three World Cup Competitions they were eligible to compete in , France 1998 and Japan/Korea 2002. Barely missing qualification for
The current team is a young squad with a lot of potential. Many of the players who play on the national side play on a club level in England, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Israel, Netherlands and Russia. The current captain, Aaron Mokoena, is the most capped player in the country’s history and was also the youngest to ever play for the country when he made his debut at just 18 years old. Probably the most recognizable face to the world though is striker Benni McCarthy, the country’s leading goal scorer who plays for English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers.
The hope of course, for the South African football association is that Bafana Bafana can make a strong showing on their home territory, besting perhaps the record of the most successful African nation to have played in the World Cup so far, Cameroon, who managed a quarter final place in 1990.
