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South Africa

• 1996 CAF African Cup of Nations champions.
• Awarded the FIFA/Coca-Cola Best Mover of the Year Award in 1996.
• Became the first Southern African nation in 1997 to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals.
• Compete in the FIFA Confederations Cup
• Runners-up, 1998 African Cup of Nations.
• World Cup debut in France in 1998.
• Winners Afro-Asian Trophy in 1999.
• Third place in the 1999 African Cup of Nations.
• Compete in 2002 Fifa World Cup Finals, Korea/Japan.
• Reunification Cup winners in 2002.
• Advance to quarter-finals of the 2005 Concacaf Gold Cup.

THE FIRST GAME

Their earliest documented football match in South Africa was held in Cape Town, although Pietermaritzburg also claims to be the cradle of the game in the country. Football was brought to South Africa in the same way it was spread elsewhere in the world, through the British military and through travelers from the colonial power.

The Cape Argus newspaper advertised the first match, played on August 23, 1862, between soldiers of the British garrison and employees of the colonial administration, including a youthful John X Merriman, who later went on to become prime minister of the Cape Colony. It was played at Green Point, which ironically is now offering up a new stadium to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals.

	Click here to download a PDF of all Bafana Games Part 1
	Click here to download a PDF of all Bafana Games Part 2
	Click here to download a PDF of all Bafana Games Part 3

The final 23-Man Squad For The 2010 FIFA World Cup:

	Itumeleng Khune D.O.B: 20 June 1987 Caps: 31 Pos: Goalkeeper Goals Conceded: 25	Moeneeb Josephs D.O.B: 19 May 1980 Caps: 20 Pos: Goalkeeper Goals Conceded: 16	Shu-Aib Walters D.O.B: 26 December 1981 Caps: 0 Pos: Goalkeeper Goals Conceded: 0
		Defenders
	Aaron Mokoena D.O.B: 25 November 1980 Caps: 105 Pos: Defender Goals: 1	Bongani Khumalo D.O.B: 6 January 1987 Caps: 6 Pos: Defender Goals: 0	Mathew Booth D.O.B: 14 March 1977 Caps: 26 Pos: Defender Goals: 1
	Anele Ngcongca D.O.B: 20 October 1987 Caps: 7 Pos: Defender Goals: 0	Lucas Thwala D.O.B: 19 October 1981 Caps: 17 Pos: Defender Goals: 1	Siyabonga Sangweni D.O.B: 29 September 1981 Caps: 10 Pos: Defender Goals: 1
	Tsepo Masilela D.O.B: 5 May 1985 Caps: 35 Pos: Defender Goals: 0		Siboniso Gaxa D.O.B: 6 April 1984 Caps: 42 Pos: Defender Goals: 0
		Midfielders
	Kagisho Dikgacoi D.O.B: 24 November 1984 Caps: 36 Pos: Modfielder Goals: 2	Lance Davids D.O.B: 11 April 1985 Caps: 17 Pos: Midfielder Goals: 0	MacBerth Sibaya D.O.B: 25 November 1977 Caps: 60 Pos: Midfielder Goals: 0
	Reneilwe Letsholonyane D.O.B: 9 June 1982 Caps: 17 Pos: Midfielder Goals: 1	Siphiwe Tshabalala D.O.B: 25 September 1984 Caps: 53 Pos: Midfielder Goals: 7	Steven pienaar D.O.B: 17 March 1982 Caps: 54 Pos: Midfielder Goals: 2
	Surprise Moriri D.O.B: 20 March 1980 Caps: 36 Pos: Midfielder Goals: 5	Teko Modise D.O.B: 22 December 1982 Caps: 56 Pos: Midfielder Goals: 10	Thanduyise Khuboni D.O.B: 22 May 1986 Caps: 11 Pos: Midfielder Goals: 0
		Strikers
	Bernard Parker D.O.B: 16 March 1986 Caps: 32 Pos: Striker Goals: 9	Katlego Mphela D.O.B: 29 November 1984 Caps: 36 Pos: Striker Goals: 17	Siyabonga Nomvete D.O.B: 2 December 1977 Caps: 78 Pos: Striker Goals: 16