They take on co-hosts Mexico in their Group A opener in Mexico City on June 11, which also serves as the first game of the tournament and a marquee fixture for coach Hugo Broos’ men.
They will then travel to Atlanta in the United States to meet the Czech Republic on June 18, before a final pool clash against South Korea in Monterrey, Mexico, on June 24.
They will be structured and organised, and likely a difficult side for teams to break down, but finding goals will be their biggest challenge.
Meeting this trio of teams and breaking down their defences is a long way from Lesotho, Rwanda and Benin.
Bafana have scored 11 goals in their previous nine World Cup matches, following their tournament debut in 1998 when they lost 3-0 to hosts France, who would go on to lift the trophy.
Nine different players have found the back of the net for the side, and the likes of Lyle Foster, Oswin Appollis and Relebohile Mofokeng will be desperate to add to that number.
Here are Bafana’s nine scorers:
Benni McCarthy (2 goals): McCarthy scored Bafana’s first ever World Cup goal, beating Peter Schmeichel from close range in a 1-1 draw with Denmark in their second game in 1998. He netted again four years later in a 3-2 loss to Spain that saw Bafana bow out in the pool stages for the second edition in a row.
Shaun Bartlett (2): Bartlett is the only man to score twice in a World Cup game for Bafana, when he netted a brace against Saudi Arabia in a 2-2 draw in their final pool match in 1998. The second of those was from the penalty spot.
Teboho Mokoena (1): This Teboho Mokoena is not to be confused with his namesake who is in the current Bafana side. Both were, or are, powerful midfielders with an eye for goal, and the ‘original’ Mokoena netted against Paraguay in Bafana’s opener at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea as they drew 2-2. He was a key part of that side.
Quinton Fortune (1): One of Bafana’s most accomplished exports was Fortune, who played for seven seasons at Manchester United. He was a key player at both the 1998 and 2002 World Cups and scored a late penalty to salvage a point against Paraguay. They had come from 2-0 down.
Siyabonga Nomvethe (1): Bafana’s first win at the World Cup came in their second game in 2002, as Nomvethe scored via his thigh in a 1-0 win over Slovenia. He was by no means prolific, but did have a habit of coming up with important goals in his career.
Lucas Radebe (1): Bafana needed a draw in their final game against Spain in 2002 to advance to the knockout rounds. They briefly made it 2-2 in the 53rd minute when Radebe headed them level, though he took such a bash to the head in the game that he later claimed not to remember the goal. In the end, a goal from Raul three minutes later gave Spain a 3-2 win and South Africa missed out on the next stage by virtue of goals scored in the pool. They had one fewer than Paraguay, 6-5.
Simphiwe Tshabalala (1): Perhaps Bafana’s most famous goal at the World Cup came in the tournament opener in 2010, ironically also against Mexico. With the score at 0-0, Tshabalala latched onto a pass on the left-hand side and thundered a shot into the goal. A goal for all of Africa, they said. Bafana could not hold on as they drew 1-1.
Bongani Khumalo (1): Khumalo was an unlikely scorer as the centre-back rose at a corner to head home against a French side in disarray in Bafana’s final match in 2010. It was a highlight for the defender that he can still dine out on today, as he later joined Tottenham Hotspur but failed to make a single first-team appearance.
Katlego Mphela (1): Mphela had missed a golden chance to make it 2-1 against Mexico with virtually the last kick of the game, but found what proved the winner against France as Bafana triumphed by the same 2-1 scoreline in Bloemfontein. It ended their campaign on a high, but they still became the first host nation to exit in the pool stage. Not the worst host nation in terms of record, though; that goes to Qatar, who lost all three matches in 2022.