South Africa's all-time FIFA World Cup statistics

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In this continuously-updated article, we take a look at South Africa's all-time FIFA World Cup statistics.

All-time record across 4 FIFA World Cup appearances (1998–2026)

Confederation	CAF
Best FIFA World Cup achievement	Group stage (1998, 2002, 2010)
FIFA World Cup appearances (inc 2026)	4 (1998, 2002, 2010, 2026)
First FIFA World Cup	1998 (group stage)
Most recent FIFA World Cup	2010 (group stage)
Current sequence of successive qualifications (inc 2026)	1
FIFA World Cup hosts	2010 (group stage)

Record by tournament

Year - Host	Result	Head coach	Top scorer	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD
1930 - URU	Did not participate
1934 - ITA	Did not participate
1938 - FRA	Did not participate
1950 - BRA	Did not participate
1954 - SUI	Did not participate
1958 - SWE	Did not participate
1962 - CHI	Did not participate
1966 - ENG	Did not participate
1970 - MEX	Did not participate
1974 - FRG	Did not participate
1978 - ARG	Did not participate
1982 - ESP	Did not participate
1986 - MEX	Did not participate
1990 - ITA	Did not participate
1994 - USA	Did not qualify
1998 - FRA	Group stage	Philippe Troussier, FRA	Shaun Bartlett (2)	3	0	2	1	3	6	-3
2002 - JPN/KOR	Group stage	Jomo Sono, RSA	Five players (1)	3	1	1	1	5	5	0
2006 - GER	Did not qualify
2010 - RSA	Group stage	Carlos Alberto Parreira, BRA	Three players (1)	3	1	1	1	3	5	-2
2014 - BRA	Did not qualify
2018 - RUS	Did not qualify
2022 - QAT	Did not qualify
2026 - CAN/MEX/USA		Hugo Broos, BEL		1	0	0	1	0	2	-2
OVERALL RECORD				10	2	4	4	11	18	-7

P = Played · W = Won · D = Drawn · L = Lost · F = Goals for · A = Goals against · GD = Goal difference

All-time World Cup record

Phase	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
Overall	10	2	4	4	11	18	-7
Group stage	10	2	4	4	11	18	-7
Knockout phase	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GF = Goals for · GA = Goals against · GD = Goal difference

General team records

Biggest win	2-1: vs France (group stage, 22/06/2010) 1-0: vs Slovenia (group stage, 08/06/2002)
Biggest defeat	0-3: twice, most recently, vs Uruguay (group stage, 16/06/2010)
Highest scoring draw	2-2: twice, most recently, vs Paraguay (group stage, 02/06/2002)
Highest scoring match	5 goals: South Africa 2-3 Spain (group stage, 12/06/2002)
Most goals scored in a match	2 goals: four times, most recently, 2-1 vs France (group stage, 22/06/2010)
Most goals conceded in a match	3 goals: three times, most recently, 0-3 vs Uruguay (group stage, 16/06/2010)
Most goals scored at a FIFA World Cup	5: 2002 (3 matches)
Fewest goals scored at a FIFA World Cup	3: twice, most recently, 2010 (3 matches) 0: 2026 (1 match)
Most goals conceded at a FIFA World Cup	6: 1998 (3 matches)
Fewest goals conceded at a FIFA World Cup	5: twice, most recently, 2010 (3 matches) 2: 2026 (1 match)

Streaks

Successive wins	1: twice, most recently, 22/06/2010
Successive defeats	1: four times, most recently, 11/06/2026 - present
Successive draws	3: 18/06/1998 - 02/06/2002
Successive matches without a defeat	4: 18/06/1998 - 08/06/2002
Successive matches without a win	4: 12/06/1998 - 02/06/2002
Successive matches with a goal scored	6: 18/06/1998 - 11/06/2010
Successive matches without scoring	1: three times, most recently, 11/06/2026 - present
Successive clean sheets	1: 08/06/2002

Knockout records

Round by round WL record *ties won or lost

N/A

Extra time

N/A

Penalty shoot-outs

W0 L0

Player records

Most FIFA World Cup participations

2 - Aaron Mokoena (2002, 2010)

2 - Delron Buckley (1998, 2002)

2 - Steven Pienaar (2002, 2010)

2 - Siyabonga Nomvethe (2002, 2010)

2 - Quinton Fortune (1998, 2002)

2 - Lucas Radebe (1998, 2002)

2 - MacBeth Sibaya (2002, 2010)

2 - Hans Vonk (1998, 2002)

2 - Pierre Issa (1998, 2002)

2 - Benni McCarthy (1998, 2002)

Most FIFA World Cup matches played

6 - Benni McCarthy (3-1998; 3-2002)

6 - Quinton Fortune (3-1998; 3-2002)

6 - Lucas Radebe (3-1998; 3-2002)

6 - Aaron Mokoena (3-2002; 3-2010)

4 - MacBeth Sibaya (3-2002; 1-2010)

4 - Pierre Issa (3-1998; 1-2002)

3 - 21 players

Most FIFA World Cup goals scored

2 - Shaun Bartlett (2-1998)

2 - Benni McCarthy (1-1998; 1-2002)

1 - Lucas Radebe (1-2002)

1 - Siphiwe Tshabalala (1-2010)

1 - Katlego Mphela (1-2010)

1 - Quinton Fortune (1-2002)

1 - Bongani Khumalo (1-2010)

1 - Siyabonga Nomvethe (1-2002)

1 - Teboho Mokoena (1-2002)

Most FIFA World Cup tournaments with a goal

2 - Benni McCarthy (1998, 2002)

Youngest player to make an appearance at a FIFA World Cup

20y 193d - Delron Buckley vs Denmark (18/06/1998)

20y 212d - Benni McCarthy vs France (12/06/1998)

20y 265d - Mbekezeli Mbokazi vs Mexico (11/06/2026)

21y 22d - Quinton Fortune vs France (12/06/1998)

21y 189d - Aaron Mokoena vs Paraguay (02/06/2002)

Youngest goalscorer at a FIFA World Cup

20y 218d - Benni McCarthy vs Denmark (18/06/1998)

23y 167d - Bongani Khumalo vs France (22/06/2010)

24y 188d - Siyabonga Nomvethe vs Slovenia (08/06/2002)

25y 12d - Quinton Fortune vs Paraguay (02/06/2002)

25y 205d - Katlego Mphela vs France (22/06/2010)

Oldest player to make an appearance at a FIFA World Cup

36y 312d - Themba Zwane vs Mexico (11/06/2026)

34y 350d - Andre Arendse vs Spain (12/06/2002)

34y 141d - Ronwen Williams vs Mexico (11/06/2026)

33y 61d - Lucas Radebe vs Spain (12/06/2002)

32y 209d - MacBeth Sibaya vs France (22/06/2010)

Oldest goalscorer at a FIFA World Cup

33y 61d - Lucas Radebe vs Spain (12/06/2002)

27y 327d - Teboho Mokoena vs Paraguay (02/06/2002)

25y 259d - Siphiwe Tshabalala vs Mexico (11/06/2010)

25y 236d - Shaun Bartlett vs Saudi Arabia (24/06/1998)

25y 205d - Katlego Mphela vs France (22/06/2010)

Most consecutive appearances with a goal

1: Nine players

Most goals in a match

2 - Shaun Bartlett vs Saudi Arabia (1998, group stage)

Hat-tricks

N/A

Fastest goal scored

4' - Siyabonga Nomvethe vs Slovenia (2002, group stage)

18' - Shaun Bartlett vs Saudi Arabia (1998, group stage)

19' 43'' - Bongani Khumalo vs France (2010, group stage)

Most clean sheets (GK)

1 - Andre Arendse (1-2002)

Red cards

Alfred Phiri vs Denmark (1998, group stage)

Itumeleng Khune vs Uruguay (2010, group stage)

Sphephelo Sithole vs Mexico (2026, group stage)

Themba Zwane vs Mexico (2026, group stage)

Coaches

Most final tournaments

1 - Philippe Troussier, FRA (1998)

1 - Jomo Sono, RSA (2002)

1 - Carlos Alberto Parreira, BRA (2010)

1 - Hugo Broos, BEL (2026)

Most matches

3 - Philippe Troussier, FRA (3-1998)

3 - Jomo Sono, RSA (3-2002)

3 - Carlos Alberto Parreira, BRA (3-2010)

Most matches won

1 - Jomo Sono, RSA (1-2002)

1 - Carlos Alberto Parreira, BRA (1-2010)

Youngest coach

43y 83d - Philippe Troussier vs France (12/06/1998)

46y 320d - Jomo Sono vs Paraguay (02/06/2002)

67y 104d - Carlos Alberto Parreira vs Mexico (11/06/2010)

Oldest coach

74y 62d - Hugo Broos vs Mexico (11/06/2026)

67y 115d - Carlos Alberto Parreira vs France (22/06/2010)

46y 330d - Jomo Sono vs Spain (12/06/2002)

Penalties taken

Min.	Span	Player	Date	Match	Execution	Reason
90+3'	O2H	Shaun Bartlett, RSA	24/06/1998	RSA vs KSA	scored	Goal
90+1'	O2H	Quinton Fortune, RSA	02/06/2002	PAR vs RSA	scored	Goal

Penalties faced

Min.	Span	Goalkeeper	Opposition player	Team	Date	Match	Execution
45+2'	O1H	Hans Vonk	Sami Al Jaber	Saudi Arabia	24/06/1998	RSA vs KSA	Conceded
74'	2H	Hans Vonk	Youssef Al Tunayan	Saudi Arabia	24/06/1998	RSA vs KSA	Conceded
80'	2H	Moneeb Josephs	Diego Forlan	Uruguay	16/06/2010	RSA vs URU	Conceded

Complete World Cup match results

Tournament	Date	Match
1998	12/06/1998	France 3-0 South Africa, Group stage (Marseille-FRA)
1998	18/06/1998	South Africa 1-1 Denmark, Group stage (Toulouse-FRA)
1998	24/06/1998	South Africa 2-2 Saudi Arabia, Group stage (Bordeaux-FRA)
2002	02/06/2002	Paraguay 2-2 South Africa, Group stage (Busan-KOR)
2002	08/06/2002	South Africa 1-0 Slovenia, Group stage (Daegu-KOR)
2002	12/06/2002	South Africa 2-3 Spain, Group stage (Daejeon-KOR)
2010	11/06/2010	South Africa 1-1 Mexico, Group stage (Johannesburg-RSA)
2010	16/06/2010	South Africa 0-3 Uruguay, Group stage (Tshwane/Pretoria-RSA)
2010	22/06/2010	France 1-2 South Africa, Group stage (Mangaung/Bloemfontein-RSA)
2026	11/06/2026	Mexico 2-0 South Africa, Group stage (Mexico City-MEX)