On Saturday, 7 July 2012, South Africa will be celebrating 20 years of returning to the FIFA football family.

After years of international isolation due to discriminatory apartheid policies, South Africa was re-admitted and played their first match on the 7th of July 1992 when they played Cameroon in an international friendly.The match was played in Durban’s Kings Park Stadium.

Former Bafana Bafana midfielder Doctor Khumalo scored the only goal from the penalty spot as Bafana cantered to a precious 1-0 victory. This was the country’s first ever international goal.

It has been a roller-coaster ride for this country since then.

Among some of the country’s major achievements to date are:

•Hosted and won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations tournament
•Won silver in the following edition held in Burkina Faso in 1998
•Qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup tournament in France
•Won the bronze medal at the AFCON edition hosted by Nigeria and Ghana in 2000
•Qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan
•Successfully hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament
Over the years South Africa has also produced players who have graced the international stage like Lucas Radebe, Benni McCarthy, Mark Fish and Steven Pienaar just to mention a few.
SAFA

Sadly, the low points include:
•Failing to qualify for the 2006 WC
•Not scorring a goal at AFCON 2006
•Being eliminated in the group stage of the 2010 WC
•Failing to qualify for AFCON 2010
•Failing to qualify for AFCON 2012

Let's hope Gordon can turn the team around for AFCON 2013. Hopefully the next 20 years have more of the highlights and fewer of the low points.