Three finals before 2026 (1998, 2002 and 2010 as hosts); 2026 will be their 4th. Never past the group stage.
The teenage spark of the side — a fearless Orlando Pirates winger (b. 2004) tipped as the face of Bafana's next era. Set an alarm for his runs.
"The Axe" — captain of the 2010 home World Cup side and the only South African to pass a century of caps
Bafana's all-time top scorer; passed Shaun Bartlett's record with a goal against Paraguay in 2008
⚠ The most-used eleven in recent matches under Hugo Broos (June 2026) — a snapshot of recent form, never a forecast.
| PLAYER | POS | ERA | CAPS | GLS | FILE NOTE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benni McCarthy #17 | FW | 1997–2012 | 80 | 31 | Bafana's record scorer and a Champions League winner with Porto — the finest finisher the nation has produced. |
| Aaron Mokoena #4 | DF | 1999–2010 | 107 | 1 | "The Axe." Record caps and captain on home soil in 2010 — a wall in front of the back four. |
| Lucas Radebe #4 | DF | 1992–2003 | 70 | 2 | "The Chief." Leeds and Bafana captain so respected that Mandela called him his hero. |
| Siphiwe Tshabalala #10 | MF | 2006–2016 | 89 | 12 | Scored the opening goal of the 2010 World Cup against Mexico — a thunderbolt the whole planet remembers. |
| Shaun Bartlett #9 | FW | 1995–2005 | 74 | 29 | Held the goal record before McCarthy; an Africa Cup of Nations winner in 1996. |
| Mark Fish #21 | DF | 1993–2004 | 62 | 2 | Cultured centre-back of the golden 1996 generation, ponytail and all. |
| Doctor Khumalo #15 | MF | 1992–2002 | 51 | 9 | "16V." The silky playmaker who made the post-isolation Bafana side worth the ticket. |
| Phil Masinga #11 | FW | 1992–2001 | 54 | 18 | Scored the goal against Congo in 1997 that sent South Africa to their first-ever World Cup. |
| Itumeleng Khune #1 | GK | 2008–2022 | 91 | 0 | A sweeper-keeper before it was fashionable; second only to Mokoena for caps. |
| Steven Pienaar #8 | MF | 2002–2012 | 61 | 3 | Everton's tireless left-sided engine and Bafana's most gifted midfielder of his era. |
South Africa are a homecoming story more than a trophy story — one shimmering 1996 continental crown, three World Cups that all ended at the group stage, and a 2010 summer the whole nation still hums. Sixteen years on they return, young and fearless under a 74-year-old Belgian sage. The Almanac files them under hope, fondly.