After many years of suffering in football, it looks clear that the Rainbow Nation is back to its former self.
Bafana Bafana, after winning the 1996 AFCON, followed it by making their debut in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France at the world stage. They lost in the finals of the 1998 AFCON to Egypt.
They also competed in the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan. Those days were the halcyon days of South African football.
The nation has failed since then to impress, although they hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup and competed but were not good enough.
Club football was so bad, although Orlando Pirates played the finals of the CAF Champions League and lost to Al Ahly in 2013. Mamelodi Sundowns in 2016 conquered the continent and are now regulars having been so consistent.
The country has risen in the last three seasons, with Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies dominating the CAF Women’s Champions League.
Bafana Bafana finished 3rd in the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast and will compete in the 2025 edition as one of the favorites.
Stellenbosch, Sundowns and Orlando Pirates are in the semi-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup and Champions League, respectively in the current season with at least one of them expecting to win one of the two trophies.
What else, again, has South Africa not done?
Sports in the country have improved as they could be considered the biggest sports nation on the continent currently.
After Stellenbosch’s incredible win in Cairo against Zamalek, head coach of the club, Steve Barker, waxed lyrical about the state of the football in the country.
“Our football is healthy, it is good that there are certain regions that can compete against the greats of African football, which is North Africa. We are proud of what we are doing and are looking forward to the match against Simba,” Barker said.
“This season, we were in the final, of the MTN8 where we played against teams such as Orlando Pirates and Mame,lodi Sundowns, and we held our own,” the coach said about the achievement of his side this season.
“It shows South African football is strong because our national team did well at the last Afcon, and we have qualified for the coming one, and we may qualify for the World Cup, Barker concluded.
Check out some recent achievements in football by South Africa
Club football
Mamelodi Sundowns (CAF Champions League semi-finals, FIFA Club World Cup)
Orlando Pirates (CAF Champions League semi-finals)
Stellenbosch ( CAF Confederation Cup semi-finals)
National teams
Bafana_Bafana has qualified for the 2025 AFCON
Bafana_Bafana has a 70% chance of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 16 years
South Africa U17 (Amajimbos) has qualified for the FIFA World Cup
