13 February 2019– Amajita’s second qualification in a row for the FIFA U20 World Cup is a further positive cap for the South African Football Association (SAFA) and an indication of the good work the Association has been doing all these years since readmission back into the international football in 1992, said SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan.

South Africa is a relatively young country in the FIFA family when it is compared to most African countries and the world at large but has qualified for major tournaments than most on the continent.

Since 1992, SAFA has participated in nine FIFA World Cups and will participate in two more this year:

• 2 U17 Women
• 1 U17 Men
• 3 U20 Men
• 3 Bafana Bafana

They will play in two more tournaments later this year – 2019 France FIFA Women’s World Cup (Banyana Banyana) and the 2019 Poland FIFA U20 World Cup (Amajita).

This is Banyana Banyana’s maiden tournament – which comes 20 years after Bafana Bafana made their World Cup debut, incidentally in France.

Thabo Senong’s side will be making their fourth appearance – 1997 Malaysia, 2009 Egypt, 2017 South Korea and 2019 Poland.

Since 1994, the South African Senior Men’s National Team (Bafana Bafana) has played in nine AFCON tournaments since readmission – missing out only on four (1994, 2010, 2012 and 2017).

The Women’s Senior Team has been ever-present in the continental championship – they missed the first one in 1991, but have taken part since 1995. They were runners up on five occasions.

South Africa’s success has also been evident in the region – Banyana Banyana has won five COSAFA Women’s Championships (winning back to back in 2017 and 2018), with Bafana Bafana lifting the trophy in 2002, 2007, 2008 and 2016.

The U17 men’s squad also took gold in 1994 and 2002 in the same competition.

“It is quite gratifying to see our national teams doing so well, more so the junior national teams, because we are all about football and development. It is clear that we are doing the right things. We are proud of Amajita for adding yet another accolade to the success of the South African Football Association by qualifying for the FIFA World Cup – following hot on the heels of Bantwana and Banyana Banyana,” said SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan.

“To have qualified for nine FIFA World Cup tournaments in various age groups, with two more coming is quite a great achievement – and this is all in line with Vision 2022. When we started on this journey, it looked too distant and very impossible, but with time, patience and perseverance we have made it. We can now look forward to more achievements by these teams. All we need is consistency, because if we want to be a force to be reckoned with and dominate global stage, we must be present at all major tournaments in all age groups.”

South Africa is also the only country on the continent that has had two different national teams at the Olympic Games at the same time – 2016 in Rio.

“This has now set up very well for the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. We are in the process of selecting the Men’s Olympic squad to ensure that we are represented there again, and with Banyana Banyana doing so well, we are confident they will go on to qualify for their third Olympics in a row,” added the SAFA President.

The FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup will be played in Poland from 23 May to 15 June, while Banyana Banyana’s FIFA Women’s World will take place from 7 June to 7 July.

 

A BRIEF LOOK OF THE ACHIEVEMENT OF VARIOUS NATIONAL TEAMS

WORLD CUP TOURNAMENTS:

U17 Women:

2010 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup – Trinidad and Tobago

Head Coach: Solly Luvhengo

2018 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup – Uruguay

Head Coach: Simphiwe Dludlu

 

U17 Men:

2015 FIFA U17 Men’s World Cup – Chile

Head Coach: Molefi Ntseki

 

U20 Men:

1997 FIFA U20 World Youth Championship – Malaysia

Head Coach: Shakes Mashaba

2009 FIFA U20 World Cup – Malaysia

Head Coach: Serame Letsoaka

2017 FIFA U20 World Cup – South Korea

Head Coach: Thabo Senong

2019 FIFA U20 World Cup – Poland

Head Coach: Thabo Senong

Banyana Banyana:

2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup – France

Head Coach: Desiree Ellis

 

 

Bafana Bafana:

 

1998 FIFA World Cup – France

Head Coach: Phillipe Troussier

2002 FIFA World Cup – Korea & Japan

Head Coach: Jomo Sono

2010 FIFA World Cup – South Africa

Head Coach: Carlos Alberto Parreira

 

OLYMPIC GAMES:

Banyana Banyana:

2012 London Olympic Games

Head Coach: Joseph Mkhonza

2016 Rio Olympic Games

Head Coach: Vera Pauw

 

U23 Men:

 

2000 Sidney Olympic Games

Head Coach: Ephraim Shakes Mashaba

2016 Rio Olympic Games

Head Coach: Owen Da Gama

AFCON TOURNAMENTS PARTICIPATION:

U17 MEN

2005 Gambia

2007 Togo

2015 Niger

Banyana Banyana:

1995 Home and Away

Coach: Sandile Bali

1998 Nigeria

Coach: Nomalungelo Mooi

2000 South Africa

Coach: Fran Hilton-Smith

2002 Nigeria

Coach: Greg Mashilo

2004 South Africa

Coach: Greg Mashilo

2006 Nigeria

Coach: Augustine Makalakalane

2008 Equatorial Guinea

Coach: Augustine Makalakalane

2010 South Africa

Coach: Augustine Makalakalane

2012 Equatorial Guinea

Coach: Joseph Mkhonza

2014 Namibia

Coach: Vera Pauw

2016 Cameroon

Coach: Desiree Ellis

2018 Ghana

Coach: Desiree Ellis

 

Bafana Bafana:

1996 South Africa

Coach: Clive Barker

1998 Burkina Faso

Coach: Jomo Sono

2000 Gabon/Nigeria

Coach: Trott Moloto

2002 Mali

Coach: Carlos Quiroz

2004 Tunisia

Coach: April Styles Phumo

2006 Egypt

Coach: Ted Dumitru

2008 Ghana

Coach: Carlos Alberto Parreira

2013 South Africa

Coach: Gordon Igesund

2015 Equatorial Guinea

Coach: Ephraim Mashaba

 

 

COSAFA CUP WINS:

U17 MEN

1994

2002

U20

2000

2004

2006

2008

2013

2017

2018

Banyana Banyana:

2002 Zimbabwe

2006 Zambia

2008 Angola (U20)

2017 Zimbabwe

2018 South Africa

SOURCED FROM THE SAFA WEBSITE.