Coach
Carlos Alberto PARREIRA
27.02.43
South Africa coach since Nov 2009
World Cup-winning coach in his second stint as national coach, he was Brazil’s fitness trainer at the 1970 finals and has been to seven tournaments since, coaching Kuwait (1982), UAE (1990), Brazil (1994 and 2006) and Saudi Arabia (1998). South Africa are paying him as much in a month as the country’s president earns annually.

Goalkeepers
Moeneeb JOSEPHS
19.05.80
Orlando Pirates
15 caps (0 goals)
Energetic personality who has been a squad regular over the last seven years and even captained the country once but never been able to hold down the first-team jersey. South Africa’s Player’s Player of the Year in 2003 comes from Cape Town where adoring fans nicknamed him “Slim Kat” (Clever Kat) for his agility.

Itumeleng KHUNE
20.06.87
Kaizer Chiefs
22 caps (0 goals)
Picked for the national team squad before he had even made his first team debut, having been long tracked as a player of much potential. Had surgery on his finger at start of this season but has maneuvered himself back into being first choice after injury to Emile Baron.

Shu-Aib WALTERS
26.01.81
Maritzburg United
0 caps (0 goals)
Goalkeeper unable to hold down a first team place at his club Bloemfontein Celtic and was loaned out in December but still rated by the Brazilian technical team. Likely to make the final squad with both Baron and Rowen Fernandez set to be ruled out because of injury.

Defenders
Matthew BOOTH
14.03.77
Mamelodi Sundowns
26 caps (1 goal)
Became a world wide celebrity at last year’s Confederation Cup for the confusion over the fans chanting off his name whenever he touched the ball which many foreigner reporters took to be racial abuse of the only white player in the team. A popular figure in the South African game, having returned in 2009 after six years playing in Russia.

Siboniso GAXA
06.04.84
Mamelodi Sundowns
33 caps (0 goals)
Won plaudits for his storming runs down the right wing during the Confederation Cup last yea but not sure of his place because of his poor crossing ability. Won the South African championship with SuperSport United before making a record-breaking move to neighbours Mamelodi Sundowns. Product of an academy run in Port Elizabeth by Danish club FC Copenhagen.

Bongani KHUMALO
06.01.87
SuperSport United
8 caps (0 goals)
Captain of South Africa’s league champions who is down the pecking order on the list of central defenders.

Tsepo MASILELA
05.05.85
Maccabi Haifa (Isr)
29 caps (0 goals)
Debuted for the national side at the 2006 African Nations Cup finals, the first player chosen from a local club outside of the South African premier league. Also played at the 2008 finals in Ghana. A championship winner with Haifa in Israel and competed in the UEFA Champions League last year.

Aaron MOKOENA
25.11.80
Portsmouth (Eng)
97 caps (1 goal)
Will likely win his 100th cap in the opening game of the World Cup and become the first South African to reach that milestone. Still holds the record as the country’s youngest ever international aged 18 years, two months and 26 days against Botswana in early 1999. Spent the last decade playing in the Netherlands, Belgium and England’s Premier League.

Anele NGONGCA
21.10.87
Genk (Blg)
3 caps (0 goals)
One of the many options tried in recent times to fill the troublesome right-back position.

Siyabonga SANGWENI
29.09.81
Golden Arrows
5 caps (0 goals)
Has emerged in recent months as a strong candidate for the starting line-up in the opening match in June 11. Parreira picked him in one of his first squads but he had two year hiatus between his first and second cap. All his international appearances have come in non-competitive matches.

Lucas THWALA
19.10.81
Orlando Pirates
18 caps (1 goal)
A product of Soweto club Orlando Pirates who was identified more than five years ago as a potential 2010 World Cup squad member by then coach Stuart Baxter. Missed last year’s Confederations Cup because of injury. Top scorer for his club in the league last season despite playing at centre back, scoring often with powerful free kicks and at set pieces.

Midfielders
Lance DAVIDS
11.04.85
Ajax Cape Town
20 caps (0 goals)
Made his national team debut at 18 years and played his first Bundesliga game for 1860 Munch in the derby against Bayern in 2003. Moved to Sweden after their relegation and the came back to South Africa last year. Can play either as a defensive midfielder or at right back.

Kagisho DIKGACOI
28.11.84
Fulham (Eng)
33 caps (2 goals)
Has a big physical presence in midfield and likes to surge forward from his role ahead of the back four. Moved to Fulham from unfashionable Lamontville Golden Arrows at the start of the season but injury has limited his chances. Fulham had wanted to sign him a season earlier but he did not meet the British work permit criteria. His surname is properly pronounced ‘dee-ghash-wa’.

Thanduyise KHUBONI
23.05.86
Golden Arrows
3 caps (0 goals)
Came out of almost total obscurity at the start of the season to prove a strong candidate in the defensive midfield position.

Reneilwe LETSHOLONYANE
09.06.82
Kaizer Chiefs
7 caps (0 goals)
Played his first full game for the national side last November against Jamaica and a strong second half of the local league season has enhanced his chances of making the World Cup squad. Two seasons ago he was relegated with Jomo Cosmos. Born in Soweto, nearby the World Cup final venue, Soccer City.

Teko MODISE
22.12.82
Orlando Pirates
46 caps (9 goals)
Has hardly missed a game since his debut in 2007, having suddenly emerged as a promising 24-year-old. Has immense skill and talent and was South Africa’s Footballer of the Year in 2008 and 2009 but his age has counted against a move to Europe. Captained the national side when the overseas-based players are not available.

Surprise MORIRI
20.03.80
Mamelodi Sundowns
28 caps (3 goals)
Missed most of the 2009-10 season with a knee injury but returned just in time to be drafted into training camps in Brazil and Germany and was again able to enforce his ability as a back-up striker. Won Footballer of the Year honours in 2006 and won his first cap in 2003 after just five league games.

Steven PIENAAR
17.03.82
Everton (Eng)
47 caps (2 goals)
Goes into the World Cup carrying the burden of his country’s hopes after a terrific season with his English club. A product of a once-success football academy run by the SAFA he moved to Ajax Amsterdam from their Cape Town namesakes. A squad member at the 2002 World Cup finals but did not get any game time.

MacBeth SIBAYA
25.11.77
Rubin Kazan (Rus)
56 caps (0 goals)
His great strength is as a ball winner in deep midfield but has trouble passing. Won two Russian championships with his provincial club, where he has played since 2003. He was also a champion in Norway with Rosenborg before that. Started his career at Jomo Cosmos in South Africa and played at the 2002 World Cup finals in Korea.

Siphiwe TSHABALALA
25.09.84
Kaizer Chiefs
42 caps (5 goals)
Tricky winger who has been to two African Nations Cup finals in 2006 and 2008 and played at last year’s African Confederations Cup. Has scored some spectacular goals for his country and also guilty of some horrific misses. Started his career with Free State Stars before moving to Chiefs in 2007.

Forwards
Katlego MPHELA
29.11.84
Mamelodi Sundowns
25 caps (9 goals)
His 17 goals for Sundowns made him the South African league’s leading scorer but he managed just one goal in 2010. Scored twice on his Bafana Bafana debut, the only man to have achieved that feat, and played in France’s Ligue 1 at the age of 19 for Racing Strasbourg, although he never went on to forge a career in Europe.

Siyabonga NOMVETHE
02.12.77
Moroka Swallows
77 caps 16 goals
Played in several European leagues, and who recently moved from Aalborg of the Danish Superliga to Moroka Swallows.

Bernard PARKER
16.03.86
Twente (Hol)
25 caps (7 goals)
Picked by coach Parreira soon after he first arrived in South Africa after just one season of top light football in South Africa. Moved to Red Star Belgrade in January 2009 and after a contract dispute six months later went to Twente, where Steve McLaren has used him as an impact substitute. Played all five of South Africa’s matches at the Confederations Cup last year.

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