The national team coach of Bafana Bafana, Pitso Mosimane, marked his return to the squad as they celebrated important milestones with the Ingulas. The 5-0 victory over Eritrea was particularly fitting for Bafana Bafana's 500th match since their return to international football.
On the night South Africa reached 50th place in the FIFA world ranking and faced its 50th African opponent since regaining membership in 1992, Relebogile Mofokeng and his teammates secured a convincing 5-0 win against Eritrea in Cairo. These figures—500 matches, 50 African opponents, 50th place in the FIFA ranking, and a 5-0 scoreline—created a perfect symmetry for this historic event.
History of Bafana Bafana
This latest success reminded how far the Bafana team has come in the last 34 years. Their football journey began in July 1992 when South Africa returned to international football, winning 1-0 against Cameroon in Durban. In that historic match, Dr. Humalo scored the decisive penalty, with five Kaizer Chiefs players participating in the game: Humalo, Neil Tovey, Donald 'Ace' Hughes, Fani Madida, and Lucas Radabe.
Four years later, Bafana conquered African football. In the 1996 AFCON final, Mark Williams scored twice, securing a 2-0 victory for South Africa over Tunisia at the FNB Stadium and winning their first continental title. This was followed by a goal that changed the history of the country's football: Phil Masinga's famous strike against Congo in 1997 helped Bafana qualify for their first World Cup, sending South Africa to France in 1998. A year later, Benny McCarthy scored Bafana's first World Cup goal, netting against Denmark.
Bafana's milestones continued across generations. Aaron Mokoena became the player with the most appearances for Bafana, playing 107 games, while Siphiwe Tshabalala forever etched his name into World Cup history with an unforgettable strike against Mexico in the first match of the 2010 tournament.
New Generation of Bafana
Now a new generation is writing its own chapter. Relebogile Mofokeng was in the spotlight during the celebration on Wednesday, scoring twice as Bafana achieved two wins from two in their campaign for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. This was especially significant for the 21-year-old player, who had been unable to score for the national team in 17 matches before finally succeeding in a spectacular fashion. Goals were also scored by Shpefelo Sithole, Ikraam Reyners, and Luther Singh.
The 5-0 victory is also among Bafana's biggest wins in the post-reintegration period, making the event even more memorable. Bafana's history has been built on defining moments—from Humalo's penalty against Cameroon to Masinga's strike against Congo, Williams' heroic performances at AFCON, McCarthy's breakthrough at the World Cup, Mokoena's longevity, and Tshabalala's iconic goal. In their 500th match, against their 50th African opponent, the next generation added another such moment, and perhaps the most fitting part of it was the score itself.