TABLE OF CONTENTS

Football in
South Africa:
The history of football in South Africa
mirrors the country’s political and
socio-economic history in many ways.
While football has for long been the
favourite sport of the black masses in
South Africa until 1994 it did not enjoy
the fi nancial or government support of
the traditionally white sports such as
rugby and cricket.
In 1994 South Africa’s fi rst truly representative
senior national football team was
chosen. Bafana Bafana (The Boys), as
they became known, brought South Africa
its fi nest football moment to date when
they won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations
which was being held on our soil for the
fi rst time. The national team has also
played in two FIFA World Cups (1998 and
2002) since readmission to international
sport – following a worldwide ban as a
result of apartheid.
The women’s game continues to grow in
South Africa with the national women’s
team Banyana Banyana (The Girls)
gaining popularity among female football
supporters. Banyana Banyana were
crowned Cosafa (Confederation of
Southern African Football Associations)
champions in 2002 and 2006. In continental
competition, the team fi nished
runners-up to Nigeria at the CAF African
Women’s Championship in 2000, and
second at the All Africa Games in 2003
and 2007.
At a club level professional football
enjoys fanatic support with some of the
continents biggest and richest clubs
competing for bragging rights.
Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates are
annually involved in the Soweto Derby
which is regarded in football circles as
one of the biggest matches of its kind
in the world. Soweto is the largest
township in South Africa. Outside of the
Soweto based clubs teams like Mamelodi
Sundowns and Supersport United
(Tshwane/Pretoria) and Mangaung/
Bloemfontein Celtic now also enjoy a
strong following among South African
football supporters.