Goalkeepers

SHU-AIB WALTERS

Defenders

MATTHEW BOOTH

LANCE DAVIDS

Born: 11 April, 1985
Position: Midfielder
Club: Ajax Cape Town
Caps: 23 

National team debut:  v Australia, friendly international, 30 March, 2004

Lance debuted for South Africa aged 18 years, 11 months and 19 days and played at the 2008 African Nations Cup finals in Ghana. He was a member of the 2009 Confederations Cup squad but did not get any playing time. Lance captained South Africa’s under-20 side and the under-23 team in the 2008 Beijing campaign.

He was born in Cape Town. 

SIBONISO GAXA

Born: 6 April, 1984
Position: Defender
Club: Mamelodi Sundowns
Caps: 37         

National team debut: v Cape Verde Islands, World Cup qualifier, 4 June, 2005

Siboniso was chosen as joint man of the match with fellow debutant and club colleague Ricardo Katza after 2-1 win in the World Cup qualifier away in the Cape Verde Islands in 2005. He received his first cap one week after winning the 2005 ABSA Cup title and was a member of the 2006 African Nations Cup finals squad.

He helped SuperSport United to win the 2008 Premier Soccer League title and was awarded for the best goal of the season. Siboniso hails from KwaMashu in Durban.

BONGANI KHUMALO

Born: 6 January, 1987
Position: Defender
Club:: SuperSport United
Caps: 14

National team debut:   v Zimbabwe, friendly international, 11 March, 2008 

Bongani won his first cap in his first season of top flight football, playing against Zimbabwe in a friendly. He joined SuperSport United from University of Pretoria and helped them to the 2008 championship, winning a second successive title in 2009.  

When his mother died during the 2009 Confederations Cup Bongani stoically continued service to the team. He was born in Swaziland but raised in South Africa and went to Clapham High in Pretoria. 

TSEPO MASILELA

Born: 5 May, 1985
Position: Defender
Club: Maccabi Haifa (Israel)
Caps: 31 

National team debut:   v Zambia, African Nations Cup, 30 January, 2006 

Tsepo became the first player to be selected to play for South Africa in a tournament from a team below the premier, Benoni Premier United. He helped his club to promotion to the Premier Soccer League in the same season. After one premier league season he was signed by Maccabi Haifa in Israel, where he is known as Peter Masilela.

He won the 2008/09 Israeli League title with Maccabi Haifa and played in the 2009/2010 UEFA Champions League.

Tsepo was one of Bafana Bafana’s star performers at the 2009 Confederations Cup. 

AARON MOKOENA

Born: 25 November, 1980
Position: Defender
Club: Portsmouth (England)
Caps: 100
Goals: 1

National team debut: v Botswana, Cosafa Castle Cup, 20 February, 1999

First goal scored: v Zambia, African Nations Cup, 8 October 2006

Nicknamed ‘Mbazo’ (axe), Aaron is South Africa’s record caps holder and the youngest player to feature for Bafana Bafana at the age of 18 years, two months and 26 days, beating Quinton Fortune’s record by more than a year. 

He competed in the 2002, 2004 and 2008 Nations Cup finals as well as the 2002 World Cup finals, but missed the 2006 African Nations Cup finals after a row with coach Ted Dumitru. In 2004 he became the 21st player to captain the national team.

In May 2009 he signed a three-year contract with English premier league side Portsmouth in May, 2009. 

Aaron hails from Boipatong, where he was a junior footballer at Real Rangers. Soccer wasn’t his favourite sport and he had to be persuaded to play, he now runs an annual junior tournament in his home town.   

ANELE NGCONGCA

Born: 21 October, 1987
Position: Defender
Club: KRC Genk (Belgium)
Caps: 4

National team debut:   v Japan, friendly international, 14 November, 2009

Born in Gugulethu, Cape Town, Anele started his career with FC Fortune in Cape Town, but never played in the PSL before moving to KRC Genk in June 2007. He made just three appearances in his first season in Belgium and injured his shoulder in July 2008 in pre-season match. He returned to full fitness in January 2009 and scored his first goal for Genk against AFC Tubize in March 2009. 

He received first call-up for friendly internationals against Germany and Republic of Ireland in September 2009 and made his debut in November 2009 against Japan in the unfamiliar role of right-back.

SIYABONGA SANGWENI

Born:                29 September 1981
Position:          Defender
Club:                Lamontville Golden Arrows
Caps:                9
Goals: 1           

National team debut:   v Malawi, Cosafa Castle Cup, 26 May, 2007

First goal scored:  v Bulgaria, friendly international, 24 May 2010

Siyabonga received his first call-up in an experimental squad for the Cosafa Castle Cup mini tournament in Swaziland in May 2007.

Born in Durban he played at Uthukela in the first division before moving to Arrows in mid-2005.

LUCAS THWALA

Born: 19 October, 1981
Position: Defender
Club: Orlando Pirates
Caps: 24
Goals: 1           

National team debut:   v Seychelles, Cosafa Castle Cup, 26 February, 2005

First goal scored:  v Zimbabwe, friendly international, 27 January 2010

Chosen as part of the squad that played in the Cosafa Castle Cup in 2005, Lucas was awarded man of the match against Mauritius. He had to pull out of the 2009 Confederations Cup squad because of injury. He won 10 caps at under-23 level and played at the 2003 All-Africa Games in Nigeria.  

Lucas came through Orlando Pirates’ development side and was the top scorer for his club in the 2008/2009 Premier Soccer League campaign. Born in Jeppies Reef near Nelspruit, Lucas can play at either left back or in central defence.

Midfielders 

KAGISHO DIKGACOI

Born: 28 November, 1984
Position: Midfielder
Club: Fulham (England)
Caps: 36
Goals: 2 

National team debut:   v Malawi, Cosafa Castle Cup, 26 May, 2007

First goal scored:  v Equatorial Guinea, World Cup qualifier, 7 June 2008

A ball-winning midfielder, Kagisho won his first call-up in the Cosafa Castle Cup mini tournament in Swaziland in May, 2007. He competed at the 2008 African Nations Cup finals in Ghana before moving to Fulham in the English Premiership in August 2009.  

He won five caps at under-23 level and was born in Brandfort in the Free State. 

THANDUYISE KHUBONI

Born: 23 May, 1986
Position: Midfielder
Club: Lamontville Golden Arrows
Caps: 8 

National team debut:   v Zimbabwe, friendly international, 27 January, 2010

Thanduyise is a defensive midfielder who has come through the ranks at Lamontville Golden Arrows. He made his debut for Abafana Bes'thende against Platinum Stars in August 2006. He missed just two of Arrows' 28 matches this season, both through injury and played a starring role in the 6-0 MTN8 Cup final defeat of Ajax Cape Town in October 2009.  Thanduyise was born in Clermont, Pinetown. 

RENEILWE LETSHOLONYANE

Born:                9 June, 1982
Position:          Midfielder
Club:                Kaizer Chiefs
Caps:                13

National team debut:   v Malawi, friendly international, 30 September, 2008 

Reneilwe made his Bafana Bafana debut after moving from relegated Jomo Cosmos to Kaizer Chiefs. He began his career as a junior at Cosmos. Reneilwe also played at Benoni Premier United, Dangerous Darkies and PJ Stars. He was born in Soweto 

TEKO MODISE

Born: 22 December, 1982
Position:          Midfielder
Club: Orlando Pirates
Caps: 52
Goals: 10 

National team debut:   v Malawi, Cosafa Castle Cup, 26 May, 2007

First goal scored: v Mauritius, Cosafa Castle Cup, 27 May 2007

Last goal scored: v Colombia, friendly international, 27 May 2010

Named South African Footballer of the Year for 2008 and 2009, Teko is the 27th player to captain Bafana Bafana. He was chosen for the Cosafa Castle Cup side for the Group B tournament in Swaziland in May 2007, culminating in a regular berth at the 2008 African Nations Cup finals where he scored two goals against Mauritius in only his second appearance. He has played 19 successive internationals in a row.

In mid-2006, Teko signed for SuperSport United from City Pillars after making his PSL debut four years earlier at Ria Stars. He moved to Orlando Pirates in 2007. Teko was born in Meadowlands, Soweto and attended Diepdale High School.

STEVEN PIENAAR

Born: 17 March, 1982
Position: Midfielder
Club: Everton (England)
Caps: 49
Goals: 2

National team debut:   v Madagascar, friendly international, 29 March, 2002

First goal scored:  v Burkina Faso, World Cup, 3 July 2004

Last goal scored:  v Uganda, World Cup qualifier, 26 March 2005 

Steven was a squad member at the 2002 World Cup but a knee injury ruled him out of the 2004 African Nations Cup finals and the 2006 finals in Egypt.

Steven helped Ajax to win the Dutch league and cup in 2002 and again in 2004. He played in 2002/2003 UEFA Champions League, where he scored in the quarter-final against AC Milan. At the end of his contract he moved to Borussia Dortmund in June 2006 and was on loan for a season to Everton in England in 2007. One season later he signed-up permanently with Everton and played in the 2009 FA Cup final which Everton lost to Chelsea.  

Steven also played for South Africa at under-20 level and made his professional debut at Ajax Cape Town. 

MacBETH SIBAYA

Born:                25 November, 1977
Position:          Midfielder
Club:                Rubin Kazan (Russia)
Caps:                57

National team debut:   v Malawi, World Cup, 25 February, 2001 

MacBeth was drafted in as an injury replacement for the squad to Malawi for the World Cup qualifier in February 2001 and was capped the same weekend. The 28th player to captain South Africa, he played in the South Korean World Cup in 2002 and 2009 Confederations Cup.  

Shortly after the 2002 World Cup he was sold to Rosenborg of Norway for R4 million and transferred to Rubin Kazan of Russia in February 2003.

He was chosen for the 2004 Nations Cup squad for the tournament in Tunisia but returned home early after the death of his brother. He returned to the squad six months later and remained part of the national squad even after the death of his father prior to the Nations Cup qualifier with Congo in September, 2006.

 He hails from Empumalanga in KwaZulu-Natal.

SIPHIWE TSHABALALA

Born: 25 September, 1984
Position: Midfielder
Club: Kaizer Chiefs
Caps: 48
Goals: 6

National team debut: v Egypt, friendly international, 14 January, 2006

First goal scored: v Paraguay, friendly international, 26 March 2008

Last goal scored: v Thailand, friendly international, 15 May 2010

Siphiwe is a speedy winger who was a surprise selection for the 2006 African Nations Cup squad during his first season in the top flight of South African football. He played in two matches during the tournament in Egypt and also played twice at the 2008 Cup in Ghana. Siphiwe was signed by Kaizer Chiefs in January 2007  

He hails from Soweto, where his first clubs were in Phiri. He also played in the junior structures of Chiefs and Moroka Swallows.

Strikers

SURPRISE MORIRI

Born: 20 March, 1980
Position: Striker
Club: Mamelodi Sundowns
Caps: 34
Goals: 5 

National team debut: v Lesotho, friendly international, 8 October, 2003

First goal scored: v Chad, African Nations Cup, 24 March 2007

Last goal scored:  v Guatemala, friendly international, 31 May 2010 

Surprise was chosen as the PSL Player of the Year at the end of the 2005/2006 season and made his national team debut after just five league matches in the PSL - a record for a rookie making the transition from semi professional football to the international ranks.

He competed at the 2008 African Nations Cup in Ghana and won two successive PSL championships with Sundowns in 2006 and 2007. He helped Silver Stars to win promotion at the end of the 2002/03 season.

He was born at Matibidi near Graskop in Mpumalanaga province. 

KATLEGO MPHELA

Born: 29 November, 1984
Position: Striker
Club: Mamelodi Sundowns
Caps: 31
Goals: 14

National team debut: v Seychelles, Cosafa Castle Cup, 26 February, 2005

First goal scored: v Seychelles, Cosafa Castle Cup, 26 February 2005

Last goal scored: v Guatemala, friendly international, 31 May 2010

Katlego became the first player to score two goals on debut for Bafana Bafana. He won man of the match on his debut and received another in his second game against Mauritius in the 2005 Cosafa Castle Cup. He played in the 2008 African Nations Cup and scored a sensational goal in the 2009 Confederations Cup. 

He debuted in the French league aged 19 at the end of the 2004 season and played two seasons with Strasbourg, before he was loaned briefly to French second division side Reims. In 2005/2006 he was loaned to play for SuperSport United and sold back to South Africa in late 2006.  

Katlego hails from Brits where his first club was Early Birds. 

SIYABONGA NOMVETE

Born: 2 December, 1977
Position: Striker
Club: Moroka Swallows
Caps: 78
Goals: 16     

National team debut: v Trinidad and Tobago, friendly international, 6 May, 1999

First goal scored: v Sweden, friendly international, 27 November 1999

Last goal scored:  v Jamaica, friendly international, 28 April 2010 

Siyabonga, scored the goal that gave South Africa their first ever win in a World Cup tournament against Slovenia in Daegu, South Korea.  His goal against Sweden also helped Bafana Bafana beat European opposition for the first time. He is speedy striker who graduated to the national squad from the under-23 team. 

He won 25 caps at under-23 level and played at the Olympic Games in Sydney, where he scored two goals. His 15 goals for the under-23 side remains a record

Siyabonga was voted Footballer of the Year in 2000 and also took the Castle Premiership Players’ Player of the Year award.

BERNARD PARKER

Born: 16 March, 1986
Position: Striker
Club: FC Twente (Netherlands)
Caps: 28
Goals: 9

National team debut: v Malawi, Cosafa Castle Cup, 26 May, 2007

First goal scored: v Malawi, friendly international, 30 September, 2008

Last goal scored: v Thailand, friendly international, 16 May, 2010 

Boksburg-born Bernard won his first call-up to the Cosafa Castle Cup side for the Group B tournament in Swaziland in 2007 at the end of his first premier league season. He won 12 caps at under-23 level.  

He had been top scorer with 10 goals at the halfway mark of the 2008/09 Premier Soccer League season before his departure from Thanda Royal Zulu to Red Star Belgrade in January 2009. He returned to Thanda Royal Zulu after agreement with Red Star was annulled due to non-payment of transfer fee.