The year 2024 was one to remember for South African football with plenty of milestones achieved by various teams, clubs and players.
This is the year when Bafana Bafana came of age while plenty of young players also sprung to prominence.
Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams put Mzansi on the map with his Ballon d’Or nomination before scooping more at the CAF Awards gala.
As the year comes to an end, here are the milestones achieved by South African national teams, clubs and players.
Bafana Bafana’s revival
Bafana Bafana really came of age in 2024 when they had their best-ever Africa Cup of Nations run in 24 years, following their third-place finish at the 2023 tournament in Ivory Coast early this year.
Against the odds, a South Africa team, made up of local-based players, went all the way to the semi-final, losing to Nigeria but beat DR Congo in the playoff to finish third.
Since then, Hugo Broos’ men have remained unbeaten, qualifying for AFCON 2025 without losing any match, while they are joint top of their 2026 World Cup qualifying group.
Amajita seal AFCON ticket
While the senior team is leading by example, the junior side is following suit and the South Africa U20 team, popularly known as Amajita, also impressed in 2024.
Amajita qualified for the 2025 U20 AFCON in October after defeating Angola in 1-0 in the COSAFA U20 Championship semi-final, enroute to the final in Mozambique before they went on to defeat Zambia 2-0 to lift the trophy.
Banyana Banyana in COSAFA final
Meanwhile, the national women’s team Banyana Banyana also reached the final of the regional COSAFA tournament, only falling at the final hurdle.
South Africa defeated Mozambique 4-1 on post-match penalties following a 1-1 draw in the semi-final but lost 4-3 to Zambia in the final after a goalless draw in regulation time.
Sundowns maintain dominance
At club level, Mamelodi Sundowns continued to fly the country’s flag as they easily won the PSL title for the seventh straight year while reaching the CAF Champions League semi-final.
Sundowns added the icing on the cake when they won the inaugural African Football League, which came with a bumper prize money of $4 million (R70 million).
UWC make Women’s Champions League debut
Meanwhile, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) sealed a ticket to the CAF Women’s Champions League after defeating Gaborone United 9-8 on post-match penalties to lift the CAF Women’s Champions League 2024 Zonal COSAFA qualifier trophy in Malawi in August.
They joined holders Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies as South Africa’s representatives but both sides exited the tournament at the group stage in Morocco in November.
SA youngsters make waves
The year 2024 also saw a number of South African youngsters impress for their clubs while some sealed moves abroad.
Shandre Campbell secured a deal to Belgian giants Club Brugge after an impressive season at SuperSport United while Cape Town City 16-year-old midfielder Emile Witbooi has been on a month-long trial at Premier League giants Chelsea.
Back home, Relebohile Mofokeng has continued to impress, scoring key goals, including in both the Nedbank Cup and MTN8 finals, earning him a place in the national team while team-mate Mohau Nkota is the man of the moment.
Mamelodi Sundowns 18-year-old Kutlwano Letlhaku is also enjoying a good season that has so far yielded three goals and two assists in 11 matches.
Ronwen Williams puts Mzansi on the map
Saving the best for last, it was a year to remember for Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams who started 2024 by starring at AFCON 2023, winning the Goalkeeper of the Tournament award.
That opened the door for more accolades as after claiming trophies with his team-mates, it was time for individual accolades.
Williams made history by becoming the first South African to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or Award after getting the nod for the Yashin Trophy, finishing ninth, and was also nominated for FIFA The Best, although he did not make the final shortlist.
There was no denying Williams at the 2024 CAF Awards, however, as he walked away with two trophies, having been named the Inter-Club Player of the Year as well as the Goalkeeper of the Year.
What should we expect in 2025?
After the lofty heights managed by the South Africans in 2024, fans will be expecting more in 2025 where Bafana Bafana will be expected to go one better at AFCON in Morocco, a better performance in AFCON U20 for Amajita while Banyana Banyana will be keen to defend their Women’s Africa cup of Nations title also in Morocco.
There is also hope that qualification to the 2026 World Cup will be achieved for the first time in a long time with South Africa last featuring at the tournament in 2010 when they hosted it.
