South Africa

Ronwen Williams became the first goalkeeper in AFCON history to save four penalties in a single shootout, eliminating Cape Verde in the 2023 quarter-finals.

South Africa's opening 2026 group match against Mexico is the exact same fixture they faced in the 2010 World Cup opener on home soil — where Siphiwe Tshabalala scored one of the tournament's most iconic goals.

Mamelodi Sundowns supply nine players (one, Ricardo Goss, on loan at Siwelele) and Orlando Pirates eight to the 26-man squad — Pretoria's Sundowns and Soweto's Pirates effectively co-own the national team.

19 of the 26 squad members play in the South African domestic league, making Bafana Bafana one of the most home-based squads at the 2026 tournament.

Lyle Foster appeared on the official 2026 FIFA World Cup global poster as one of the tournament's spotlight players — rare recognition for a South African footballer.

South Africa 2010 made painful history: Bafana Bafana became the first host nation ever knocked out in the group stage — despite beating France in their final match.

Just four years after returning from decades of apartheid-era isolation, South Africa won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil at their very first attempt — Nelson Mandela handed captain Neil Tovey the trophy while wearing a Bafana shirt.