The Anthem
National Anthem of South Africa
▶ Listen on YouTube ↗“Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika / Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo…”
A unique hybrid weaving five of the country's languages — Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans and English — into one song.
The Legends
Names that echo
Lucas Radebe
Defender · 1990s–2000s
Beloved Leeds United captain; Nelson Mandela once called him 'my hero'.
Benni McCarthy
Forward · 2000s
South Africa's record scorer and a UEFA Champions League winner with Porto.
Steven Pienaar
Midfielder · 2000s–10s
Everton playmaker and creative heartbeat of Bafana Bafana.
Fun Facts
Worth knowing
- 01
South Africa hosted the first World Cup ever held in Africa, in 2010 — and gave the world the roar of the vuvuzela.
- 02
The 2010 tournament made 'Waka Waka' and Shakira a permanent part of football's soundtrack.
- 03
'Bafana Bafana' means 'The Boys, The Boys' in Zulu.
At the World Cup
The story so far
Readmitted to world football after apartheid, South Africa debuted in 1998 and, in 2010, became the first African nation to host the World Cup — an organizational triumph despite the hosts' early exit.
Tshabalala lights the fuse
Siphiwe Tshabalala's thunderbolt against Mexico in the opening match is one of the great World Cup curtain-raisers.
A nation rejoins the world
South Africa's first World Cup, only six years after returning from sporting isolation.
Group Stage