Only in South Africa does the history of soccer intersect with pantheons of the 20th century, such as Nelson Mandela and Gandhi. "Sport has the power to change the world. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers," Mandela said, referring to the tremendous impact of soccer as a force of racial unity and against apartheid. As of 2006, the Rainbow Nation boasted of 4.5 million players in a population of 43 million, according to FIFA's "Big Count" survey, and its men's national team ranks 51st in the world as of 2011.
Early Years
As in other countries tied to the British Commonwealth, occupying British troops bought soccer to South Africa. The first organized club was formed in 1882 in Natal, and by a year later, a league of 10 clubs was in full swing. Also in 1882, a national organizing body, the South African Football Association, formed. Dutch immigrants created the Transvaal FA in 1889. In 1904, Mahatma Gandhi, who lived in South Africa before moving to India, founded three soccer clubs, using each as a platform for halftime speeches about passive resistance and as a way to involve non-whites in sporting events. Still, separate football associations represented white, Indian, African and colored soccer clubs. In 1963, FIFA suspended South Africa from international play due to its racial segregation. In 1991, the four football associations merged as part of the dismantling of apartheid.
Professional Soccer
In 1959, 12 founding clubs joined a professional league and immediately drew huge crowds. In 1971, a successor pro league came into being, with the first season won by the Orlando Pirates of Johannesburg. As of 2011, the Premier Soccer League of 16 teams included the Mamelodi Sundowns, the Kaizer Chiefs, the Orlando Pirates, Ajax Cape Town and AmaZulu.
Prisoner's League
Black political prisoners held on Robben Island formed a soccer league, the Makana Football Association, as detailed in sports historian Charles Korr's book "More Than Just a Game." The book documents how the soccer league, founded in 1966, played a role in the fight against apartheid. Soccer helped the men preserve their sanity, Korr relates, and the prisoners developed organization skills later used to run South Africa after they achieved freedom. Guards who viewed the prisoners as inferior rethought their views as they observed the successful soccer league.
Men's National Team
Four years after it was readmitted to international soccer, in 1996 South Africa claimed the Africa Cup of Nations trophy by defeating Tunisia. In the World Cup of 1998, South Africa's footballers struggled against France but drew against Denmark and Saudi Arabia. In Korea/Japan 2002, South Africa beat Slovenia 1-0 for its first World Cup win. The home team in World Cup 2010, the men's team, nicknamed Bafana Bafana, meaning "the boys the boys," didn't advance out of the group stage. Fans dressed in oversized floppy hats and sunglasses in the national team colors of green and yellow celebrated nonetheless, droning their support by blowing on vuvuzelas. South Africa tied Mexico 1-1, lost to Uruguay 3-0 and defeated France 2-1 to finish third in its group.
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