var teamInfo={"5E8F53D0A504BF86":"South Africa","B52BFE7EA0432304":"dmumble@safagoal.net","A7F9B63E25A659E5":"South Africa","729294714CECF588":"

First international:<\/STRONG> Argentina 0 - 1 South Africa (9 July 1906)<\/P>

Biggest win:<\/STRONG> Australia 0 - 8 South Africa (September 17, 1955)<\/P>

Biggest defeat:<\/STRONG> Australia 5 - 1 South Africa (7 June 1947)
                           Mexico 4 - 0 South Africa (6 October 1993)
                            USA 4 - 0 South Africa (3 June 2000)
                            Nigeria 4 - 0 South Africa (31 January 2004)<\/P>

Top scorer:<\/STRONG> Benni McCarthy (35)<\/P>

Most caps:<\/STRONG> Aaron Mokoena (100)<\/P>","D5AF1249DEAE15440A9E01742A8A4E92":"0","0C852134AA40B2DD":"1","8524B53828524224755A552E6AAA1E77":"KV Oostende","50DCDC085A8BF7E4518E56CD69FC7EB2":"","76E4AF6D9D682B9E33C3CEBB0A099E01":"","93E993D54869F4B8":"655366","3D9B31C67DFDD0FC8C73053EF2ADBD66":"

FIFA World Cup appearances: <\/STRONG>3 (1988, 2002, 2010)<\/P>

African Nations Cup appearances:<\/STRONG> 7 (1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008)<\/P>

Winner African Nations Cup:<\/STRONG> 1 (1996)<\/P>

FIFA Confederations Cup appearances:<\/STRONG> 2 (1997, 2009)<\/P>","DD8BEAF452454A6D0A12C3D91CB3F716":"

There is an air of cautious optimism in South Africa as the Rainbow Nation prepares to write what is undoubtedly the most significant chapter of its short football history. A mammoth task lies ahead.

Recent years have brought ample disappointments, but Bafana Bafana have also shown, albeit in patches, that - given motivation and purpose - they can be a potent threat. And there can be no greater motivation than representing their country in a FIFA World Cup™ on home soil.

In 1996, four years after their readmission to international football, South Africa shot to prominence and stunned the African continent by claiming their maiden CAF Africa Cup of Nations trophy against Tunisia at Soccer City in Johannesburg. How ironic that, 16 years later, South Africa will return to the venue where they achieved this first major success, aiming to rewrite the script on an even bigger stage.

Their gallant performance at the FIFA Confederations Cup last June, when they lost narrowly to Brazil in the semi-finals and to Spain in the third place play-off, should certainly serve as a chilling reminder to their detractors that this team, when stretched to its potential, cannot be underestimated. That tournament witnessed several impressive performances strung together by the hosts, and ultimately it was only their inability to convert cleverly-tailored moves into goals that led to their demise.

The road to South Africa<\/STRONG><\/P>

South Africa, by virtue of their role as hosts, gained automatic qualification.<\/P>","0357E9507AE48270":"1","E4FAE8AE56FCFFF1DC7AFC02ACE5DEE8":"95","00E1A43DD023DEC2DFC0A799EF9025A4":"","D818D0DBB58D9A673E378E57E02D444F9E96A907729BB512":"1991","2C96C5176EAF712DA7D4D953D3793B1F":"Hugo Broos","500D9C7B9500177D0E53F89F378715C8":"","92DC52DD0D4041625C68AA7C024C7F67":"South Africa","937DE1BE2366A0DF":"http:\/\/www.safa.net","89F75C88F810F7B54F1BC067C7848CF5":"","7B11A9E5D141DF5785F9EF965C7D588D":"KV Oostende,Cameroon,NA Hussein Dey,JS Kabylie,Zulte Waregem,Trabzonspor,Panserraikos F.C.,KRC Genk,Anderlecht,Excelsior Mouscron,Club Brugge,RWD Molenbeek","761C3792446BE5ED2EFE4C1CAFC95D68":"1952-4-10","9874ED9F3729871C766BB9BF72DD3990":"2021-5-5","C6E00DEB351621C4":"209","0284C3E6252CDEEA":"Hugo Broos","A9113A766E3C872ED6E5814BC86CB140":"","4268BF6963F167300062241A864D4973":"First National Bank Stadium ,P.O. Box 910 ,JOHANNESBURG 2000","D99F4C61777FBED8":"","D5AF1249DEAE15446FB07F95BE07BAC61FCF1CF21901A599":"1","686A4807662B110DEF267ED94EA5AF8C":"Belgium","6A881B134CC16CFA535D54FE36142BBC":"South Africa","9262149CB11F269E":"Pretoria","42B1B76A697DFC47":"28.04","e_index":1};