South Africa — last major trophy
Time since last trophy
South Africa won as hosts in their first AFCON appearance after re-admission to international football post-apartheid, beating Tunisia 2-0 in the final.
South Africa's only major trophy carries deep symbolic weight beyond football: the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations, won as hosts, was the 'Bafana Bafana's' first appearance at the tournament after South Africa's readmission to international football following the end of apartheid, having been banned from FIFA and CAF competitions since the early 1960s. South Africa beat Tunisia 2-0 in the final in Johannesburg, with striker Mark Williams coming off the bench to score twice in the space of three minutes. The trophy was presented by South African president Nelson Mandela, and the tournament is widely remembered as a landmark moment of post-apartheid national unity, echoing the country's Rugby World Cup win the year before. South Africa have not reached another AFCON final since, and their best World Cup result remains the group stage, at the tournament they hosted in 2010.
| Competition | Titles won |
|---|---|
| FIFA World Cup | 0 |
| Africa Cup of Nations | 1 |
| Year | Competition | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Africa Cup of Nations | Won | 2-0 vs Tunisia, as hosts |
The 1996 Africa Cup of Nations, held on home soil, beating Tunisia 2-0 in the final.
It was their first tournament appearance after being readmitted to international football following the end of apartheid, and was seen as a moment of national unity.
President Nelson Mandela.
They were eliminated in the group stage, their best-ever World Cup result.
