Bafana Bafana (South Africa’s national team) made their maiden appearance at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in 2011 during the second edition of the tournament held in Sudan.
Coached by interim manager Simon Ngomane, South Africa was placed in Group B alongside Ghana, Zimbabwe and Niger. They performed impressively in the group stage, topping the group but were eliminated in the quarterfinals following a 2–0 loss to Algeria.
Since their debut, Bafana Bafana have qualified for CHAN on two more occasions. In 2014, they featured as hosts but failed to progress beyond the group stage. After missing the next several editions, South Africa returned to the continental stage by qualifying for CHAN 2024 marking their third appearance in the tournament’s history.
South Africa’s qualification campaign was hard fought and impressive. In the first round, they drew 1–1 at home against Egypt then produced a stunning 3–1 away win in Cairo advancing with a 4–2 aggregate score. In the final qualifying round they lost 1–0 away to Malawi but turned the tie around with a 2–0 home win in Pretoria sealing a 2–1 aggregate victory. This marked Bafana Bafana’s first CHAN qualification since 2014.
For the 2025 CHAN finals, South Africa is placed in Group C, where they will face hosts Uganda, Algeria, and Guinea in what promises to be a highly competitive group.