South Africa

🌍 World Cup Story

South Africa made history in 2010 as the first African nation to host the World Cup — a tournament remembered for vuvuzelas, Shakira's Waka Waka, and Uruguay's Suárez handball. The Bafana Bafana ("The Boys") qualified on merit previously only in 1998 and 2002, exiting in the group stage both times. Automatic host qualification in 2010 saw them become the first host nation to exit the group stage. After 16 years away, they return in 2026 having taken bronze at AFCON 2023, built on the heroics of goalkeeper Ronwen Williams who kept three consecutive clean sheets in the AFCON shootouts. A remarkable comeback story.