South Africa at AFCON: Comparing Bafana Bafana and Springboks’ Achievements on the World Stage

• South Africa lost their opening match against Mali at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
• Bafana Bafana have won just one major international trophy in their history
• The Springboks hold the record for most Rugby World Cup titles with four

South African sports is in the spotlight again, with Bafana Bafana in action at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

They struggled in their opening match, losing 2-0 to Mali after Percy Tau missed a penalty.

Sports Brief compares their achievements on the international stage to the Springboks’ accolades in world rugby.

Springboks' Rugby World Cup dominance

The Springboks’ greatness is unquestioned.

They hold the record for most Rugby World Cup titles, capturing the Webb Ellis Cup four times.

They first won the championship in 1995, going undefeated the entire tournament and beating the All Blacks 15-12 in an epic final.

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They lifted their second title in 2007, winning each of their seven games in the tournament, including a 15-6 victory over England in the final.

The Springboks captured their third Rugby World Cup crown in 2019, beating England once again in the Grand Final. South Africa stamped their class in that contest, winning by a score of 32-12.

They successfully defended their title last year to become the winningest team in Rugby World Cup history.

They had to work hard for the championship, winning by just one point in each of their knockout matches against France, England, and New Zealand, per the BBC.

The Boks defeated the All Blacks 12-11 in the Grand Final to win their fourth title.

They have also won The Rugby Championship (formerly known as the Tri Nations Series) four times, lifting the title in 1998, 2004, 2009, and 2019.

Bafana Bafana's international struggles

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Success has been hard to come by for South Africa’s national football team in the past two decades.

Their only major international trophy came in the 20th century, with Bafana Bafana winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996.

They advanced to the knockout stage after finishing top of Group A. They recorded wins over Cameroon and Angola to reach the quarter-finals.

Bafana Bafana edged past Algeria 2-1 in the quarters before beating Ghana 3-0 in the semis to set up a championship showdown with Tunisia.

Bafana made the most of their first final appearance, defeating Tunisia 2-0 to capture their first and only AFCON title.

Mark Williams starred for South Africa in that contest, scoring twice in a two-minute span late in the second half, per Sowetan Live.

They came close to winning the tournament again in the next two AFCON editions, with South Africa finishing second in 1998 and third in 2000.

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They have not reached the semi-finals of the AFCON since then, with their best finish being a quarter-final appearance in 2002, 2013, and 2019.

Regarding the FIFA World Cup, Bafana Bafana have reached that tournament just three times in their history. They failed to advance to the knockout round in each of those appearances in 1998, 2002, and 2010.

They failed to qualify in each of the last three World Cups in Brazil (2014), Russia (2018) and Qatar (2022).

They qualified for the FIFA Confederations Cup twice in their history. They were eliminated in the group stage in 1997 and finished fourth in 2009.

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Tau breaks his silence after penalty miss

Sports Brief recently reported on Percy Tau breaking his silence after his penalty miss against Mali.

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The Al Ahly star missed the spot kick in the 19th minute after Evidence Makgopa was fouled in the box.

Tau said it still hurts as they ended up losing the match.