South Africa
Young underdogs with nothing to lose
Back after 16 years, a young home-grown squad handed the cruelest opener — and now must win out.
Watchability3/5
Drama4/5
Star power2/5
Title shot1/5
Team rating
71TEAM
- Attack70
- Midfield70
- Defense73
Next matches
- Next upvs South KoreaEstadio BBVA, GuadalupeJun 24
The read
South Africa are back at the World Cup after 16 years away, a young and expressive squad built mostly from their own domestic league rather than big European clubs. They drew the cruelest possible opener — the host nation, in the very first match of the tournament, in front of a roaring Azteca crowd — and lost 0-2. Now it's a pure survival story: win out, or go home with the experience.
The fan’s readA young, home-grown, expressive squad dealt the cruelest opener imaginable and still swinging — the purest "nothing to lose" in Group A.
The cast
- Hugo BroosBelgian veteran who won the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon; has said South Africa will be his final coaching jobmanager
- Lyle FosterThe most expensive South African player ever and the focal point of the attack.ClubBurnley
- Percy TauThe experienced star who returned after a falling-out with his own federation.ClubQatar SC / veteran
- Ronwen Williams ★A shootout-saving cult-hero keeper who once stopped four penalties in one game.ClubMamelodi Sundowns
- Relebohile MofokengA thrilling young winger out of the South African league — the breakout name to clock now.ClubOrlando Pirates
Key moments
- 20102010 host exitWhen South Africa hosted the World Cup in 2010, they beat France but still became the first host nation in tournament history to be eliminated in the group stage.
- 2010Never past the groupAcross all three of their previous World Cups (1998, 2002, 2010), South Africa have never advanced beyond the group stage, so they have never played a single World Cup knockout match.