Bafana Bafana (The Boys) is South Africa’s national team of football. The country can certainly not place itself among the ranks of Brazil or one of Europe’s elite Italy but the history of this club is no less than notable.
South Africa were under FIFA’s ban until 1992 when they were ordered the right to return into Football’s Governing Body Association and participate in competitions again.

The club was long hit by racial segregation which led to FIFA taking sanctions against them. South Africa then returned to football with a memorable 1-0 victory over Cameroon. It was Bafana Bafana’s first game in a decade. Four years later, South Africa then went on to host and win the 1996 African Nations Cup in what became the team’s most unforgettable triumph.

Despite reaching the stars in a heroic manner, South Africa didn’t have what it took to succeed on the International stage. Bafana Bafana made it to the 1998 and 2002 World Cups in France and Korea-Japan respectively only to suffer early group stages exits.

South Africa’s inability to shine on the International front resulted in the country chasing high profile coaches from other parts of the world. This included the hiring of Brazil’s former manager Carlos Alberto Parreira in 2007. The managerial post has always been a problem for South Africa who has seen 16 different coaches managing the national team in nothing more than 17 years – the latest in this list being Joe Santana as their current coach.

Either way, South Africa can count four major honors in their room of trophies, having won the Africa Cup of Nations once and the COSAFA Cup three times in the space of six years.

South Africa’s International and continental record:

World Cup

•    1930 to 1962 - Did not enter
•    1966 to 1990 - Banned from FIFA because of Apartheid
•    1994 - Did not qualify
•    1998 - Round 1
•    2002 - Round 1
•    2006 - Did not qualify
•    2010 - Qualified automatically as host nation

African Nations Cup

•    1957 - Disqualified because of apartheid
•    1959 to 1992 - Banned from CAF
•    1994 - Did not qualify
•    1996 - Champions
•    1998 - Second place
•    2000 - Third place
•    2002 - Quarterfinals
•    2004 - Round 1
•    2006 - Round 1
•    2008 - Round 1
•    2010 - Did not qualify

South Africa are now the first African nation to host the World Cup which takes place in 2010 – something that has given them the right to participate in this year’s Confederations Cup.

The team currently benefits from the services of Captain Aaron Mokoena who is South Africa’s most capped player with over 80 appearances for his country. But his Blackburn Rovers partner Benni McCarthy is still at the center of a club-and-country saga, missing out on South Africa’s last two friendly games against Norway and Portugal with an injury branded as “mysterious and undiagnosed” by Bafana Bafana’s medical staff. His strange behavior and previous boycotts on the national team have finally resulted in Coach Joel Santana excluding him from his 30-man squad list that will play in the Confederations Cup in June. This hard decision – which came at Bafana Bafana fans’ astonishment – stood up despite McCarthy putting an end to his self-imposed exile from the club.

The South Africans are out of the continent’s next Africa Cup of Nations which takes place in Angola five months before the World Cup. The Boys in yellow and green might fancy their chances as underdogs in the Confederations Cup to comfort themselves from the disappointment of missing out from Angola 2010.

South Africa’s road to the 2009 Confederations Cup:

Bafana Bafana qualified to this year’s Confederations Cup through the host factor. This competition – which is the curtain raiser to the World Cup – allows the host country to automatically qualify for both the Confederation Cup and the World Cup.

South Africa’s style of play:

The ever-since-fervent admirers of Brazil (A Seleccao) are still moaning about the lack of high-profile players and experience in their squad. But former manager, Carlos Alberto Parreira, and current coach Joel Santana seem to have brought some Brazilian flavor to South Africa’s style of play.

The team’s technique is based on flair and speed. With the goal-scoring crisis being South Africa’s major problem in big tournaments, a new idea has now been incrusted in Bafana Bafana’s football; the boys like to stun with firing shots from distance and their constant accurate free-kicks also comes as a threat to opponents.

South Africa’s Coach:
The former Vasco da Gama, Olaria, and America de Natal defender has swaped his defensive playing style for the attacking spirit which reveals itself by his team choice and his tactics of convert central midfielders into attacking midfielders that must show aggressiveness and flair. The 60-year-old – who has never won a cap for his country Brazil – is taking care of a national team for the first ever time in his entire career. Joel Santana has been outstandingly successful as a manager in club football. He is seen as the man capable of pulling teams out of relegation as well as winning Championships. Santana has managed to win the Campeonato Carioca with all of Brazil’s big four teams as well as helping Vasco da Gama and Flamengo survive from relegation. However, it is another thing all together to coach a national team who are still in a developing phase. Can he put a bright start to his national team football career?

Key Players and Star player:
Benni McCarthy is definitely ruled out from the Bafana Bafana squad that will play in the Confederations Cup in June.

Aaron Mokoena is undoubtedly an important figure in the South African squad. The skipper has got experience from the English Premier League and can inspire his team with the confidence that they might need.

Steven Piennar is also indispensable. The Everton winger’s ability to hold on to the ball and bypass defenders will surely be needed to create chances for his side. This is one player that can help surprise South Africa’s opponents on any given day when he is at the top of his form.

Possible surprises: midfielder Tshabalala and striker Bernard Parker could yet improve in their development. The duo were impressive in South Africa’s friendly game against Ghana last year and picking up from where they left off could help the squad combine perfectly with the rest of the lads and steer up some real thrill and drama in the Confederations Cup tournament.

Well, South Africa are definitely not going into the competition as favorites but they might grab this opportunity to improve their form for the World Cup. There will certainly be a lot of pride playing in front of the home fans in what will be Africa’s first ever staging of the Confederations Cup competitions. Expectations are not too high anyway on this relatively young squad, but progressing to the second round of the tournament is almost imperative for Joel Santana to silence his critics who whimper at his inexperience in national team football.

South Africa’s 30-man squad:

Goalkeepers: Brian Baloyi (Mamelodi Sundowns), Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs), Moeneeb Josephs (Orlando Pirates), Rowen Fernandez (Armenia Bielefeld, Germany).

Defenders: Matthew Booth (Mamelodi Sundowns), Siboniso Gaxa (Mamelodi Sundowns), Morgan Gould (SuperSport United), Tsepo Masilela (Maccabi Haifa, Israel), Aaron Mokoena (Blackburn Rovers, England), Nasief Morris (Recreativo, Spain), Bryce Moon (Panithinikos, Greece), Lucas Twala (Orlando Pirates), Bongani Khumalo (SuperSport United).

Midfielders: Lance Davids (Djurgardens, Sweden), Kagisho Dikgacoi (Golden Arrows), Teko Modise (Orlando Pirates), Masilo Modubi (Westerlo, Belgium), Siyabonga Nkosi (Maccabi Netanya, Israel), Steven Pienaar (Everton, England), Macbeth Sibaya (Rubin Kazan, Russia), Siphiwe Tshabalala (Kaizer Chiefs), Benson Mhlongo (Orlando Pirates), Surprise Moriri (Mamelodi Sundowns), Elrio van Heerden (Club Brugge, Belgium), Innocent Mdledle (Orlando Pirates).

Strikers: Bernard Parker (Red Star Belgrade, Serbia), Katlego Mphela (Mamelodi Sundowns), Thembinkosi Fanten (Maccabi Haifa, Israel), Mabhuti Khenyeza (Ajax Cape Town), Katlego Mashego (Orlando Pirates).

South Africa found themselves in Group A, with Iraq, New Zealand and Spain.

South Africa’s Group Stage Fixtures:

• Sunday, June 14, 2009: South Africa v Iraq
• Thursday, June 18, 2009: South Africa v New Zealand
• Sunday, June 21, 2009: Spain v South Africa