Bafana Bafana’s class of 1998: Where are South Africa’s first World Cup stars now?

When Bafana Bafana sealed qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it brought back memories of another generation – the first South African side ever to grace football’s biggest stage.

For a young footballing nation that had just returned to the international stage after the end of Apartheid, France 1998 – along with the triumphant 1996 Africa Cup of Nations – was a statement that South Africa had arrived.

Led by Lucas Radebe, and featuring names that would go on to define an era – from Benni McCarthy and Mark Fish to Doctor Khumalo and John “Shoes” Moshoeu – that team carried the hopes of a nation still finding its identity through sport.

Though they didn’t make it past the group stage, their performances earned global respect and inspired a generation of players who would follow in their footsteps.

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For many fans, that squad represents a golden moment in South African football – a mix of local heroes, European-based pioneers, and colourful personalities whose stories continue to echo to this day. Some went on to successful coaching or business careers, others faded quietly from the spotlight, and a few faced tragedy after the final whistle was blown.

More than 25 years later, as a new Bafana Bafana prepares for North America, it’s worth looking back at that historic class of ’98 – where they came from, the roles they played, and the paths their lives took after football.

Here’s what became of South Africa’s 1998 World Cup squad.

Hans Vonk (Goalkeeper, 28 years old)

Many South Africans hadn’t heard of the Heerenveen goalkeeper before the team departed for the World Cup in France. Vonk was born in South Africa, but it’s in the Netherlands where he grew up and made a name for himself as a footballer. After the World Cup, Vonk would go on to earn 43 caps for Bafana. He finally hung up his boots in 2011 with Ajax Cape Town. After retiring, he briefly returned to the Netherlands to work in football administration. He’s now currently living in Cape Town where he runs a travel agency.

Brian Baloyi (Goalkeeper, 24 years old)

Spider-Man was one of the most famous goalkeepers in South Africa at the time. Domestically, he turned out for Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns, and on the international stage, he earned 24 caps for Bafana Bafana. Now 51, Baloyi describes himself as an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and philanthropist.

Paul Evans (Goalkeeper, 24 years old)

Paul Evans was called up to the squad after Andre Arendse was withdrawn due to injury. Unfortunately, Evans was himself injured before the tournament. He played just two times for Bafana Bafana. After playing for SuperSport United, Mamelodi Sundowns and Jomo Cosmos in the 90s and early 2000s, Evans moved abroad to England where turned out for clubs like Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday.

Simon Gopane (Goalkeeper, 27 years old)

Playing for Bloemfontein Celtic, Gopane was only called up to the Bafana team after Evans was ruled out due to injury. His international career consists of a solitary cap, earned against Namibia in the famous 4-1 win at the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations. Gopane is currently the goalkeeper coach for Motsepe Foundation Championship side Black Leopards.

Pierre Issa (Defender, 22 years old)

Issa, who was born in South Affrica but grew up in France, made his Bafana debut in a friendly against Germany in 1997, and would go on to establish himself as a regular in the national team. In Bafana’s opener against hosts France at the World Cup, Issa infamously scored an own goal as Philippe Troussier’s men were beaten 3-0 by the eventual champions. He went on to play 47 times, with his last cap coming in 2006. After retiring, he served in various capacities, including as sporting director for Green giants Olympiacos. According to an IOL report from two years ago, Issa runs Playeleven11, a company that develops football talent with a specific focus on Africa and France.

Lucas Radebe (Defender, captain, 29 years old)

Captain of the team, Radebe was the first name on the team sheet in 1998. The central defender played for Premier League club Leeds United at the time, and was a favourite among fans of both his club and Bafana Bafana. Apart from leading Bafana Bafana at two World Cups, he was the Leeds United captain when they reached the semi-finals the Champions League during the 2000-01 season. He played no part in the knockout games after tearing his knee ligaments, though. Since retiring from football in 2005, Radebe has remained very busy. He has worked with charities and social initiatives, including the Starfish charity and was a FIFA ambassador for SOS Children's Villages. He also participated in a Disney TV show focusing on youth football development. Recently, he was appointed to the role of official club ambassador by Leeds United.

Themba Mnguni (Defender, 24 years old)

Although he was never able to seal down a regular place in the national team, Mnguni had a very good career at club level, spending the majority of his years in the colours of Mamelodi Sundowns. He remains with the club to this very day, where he serves as a youth academy coach.

David Nyathi (Defender, 29 years old)

Nyathi, hands down the greatest left back South Africa has ever seen, was known for his attacking style of football from deep in his own half. After starring for Dangerous Darkies, Orlando Pirates, the old Cape Town Spurs and Kaizer Chiefs, Nyathi spent the latter years of his career in Europe, playing in Spain, Switzerland, Italy and Turkey. After retiring in 2000, Nyathi worked as a youth coach for a number of years, and is currently SAFA’s head of youth scouting.

Willem Jackson (Defender, 26 years old)

The Orlando Pirates man was a very capable defender who could play anywhere across the back, whether it be in the middle, or down either flank, and was known for his pace, energy, and unpredictable attacking movement. Like many of his former teammates, Willem Jackson remains involved in football today. After an absence of 10 years from the football scene, the Bloemfontein-born Jackson was appointed as assistant coach by top-flight Siwelele FC earlier this season.

Mark Fish (Defender, 24 years old)

Fiiiiiiish was one of the most popular players in South African football going into the 1998 World Cup. After starting his career at Jomo Cosmos, conquering the continent with Orlando Pirates, Fish moved to England’s Premier League, where he played for Bolton Wanderers and Charlton Athletics. For Bafana Bafana, though, he remained an important cog in defence. He currently lives in Durban, and is involved in coaching and mentoring young players.

Alfred Phiri (Midfieder, 23 years old)

After starting his career at Alexandria United and Jomo Cosmos, midfielder Maimane Phiri spent the majority of his career playing in Turkey. In South Africa’s second game of the 1998 World Cup – against Denmark – Phiri was introduced as a second half substitute for Brendan Augustine, but was sent off just 22 minutes after being shown two yellow cards. Bafana and Denmark drew the game 1-1. After retiring, Phiri sought to give back to the community by launching the Maimane Alfred Phiri (MAP) games,  affectionately known as “iDiski yase kasi” in Alexandria, where he was born.

Quinton Fortune (Midfielder, 21 years old)

At the time of the 1998 World Cup, Fortune was a young 21-year-old who played for Spanish giants Atletico Madrid. A key part of Troussier’s plans, Fortune featured in all three games for Bafana Bafana. In 1999, Fortune secured a move to English giants Manchester United, and would remain there for seven years, playing alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. Since retiring, Fortune embarked on a coaching career that’s saw him back at Old Trafford. This season, Fortune has been the assistant coach of La Liga side Real Oviedo.

John Moshoeu (Midfielder, 32 years old)

Moshoeu was a key player in the team, featuring in all three games as Bafana Bafana fell agonisingly short of the second round. Shoes, as he was affectionately known, returned to South Africa in 2003 after 10 years in Turkey, joining Kaizer Chiefs. In the colours of Amakhosi, he continued to entertain fans despite being 37 years old. In 2007, at the age of 41, Shoes became the oldest player to score in the PSL. That’s a record he holds to this day. He played professionally until the age of 42. After a long battle with stomach cancer, Moshoeu died in 2015, aged 49.

Helman Mkhalele (Midfielder, 28 years old)

Midnight Express came off the bench in Bafana Bafana’s opener against France, and played the full 90 minutes against Denmark and Saudi Arabia. After starting his career with Jomo Cosmos, it was in the black and white of Ezimnyama ngenkani where Mkhalele made a name for himself. He was a key player in Pirates’ 1995 continental title win, as well as Bafana’s successful 1996 Afcon campaign. After 8 years in Turkey, and three seasons at Cosmos, Mkhalele retired in 2008. After retirement, he got a 9 to 5 job, started a furniture business, and earned a teachers' diploma at the Soweto College. After coaching the national Under-20 team, he was appointed Bafana Bafana’s assistant coach alongside head coach Hugo Broos, and has been tipped to succeed the Belgian. At next year’s World Cup, he will be the one member of South Africa’s 1998 squad still involved with the national team.

Delron Buckley (Midfielder, 20 years old)

Buckley was aged just 20 and uncapped at the 1998 World Cup. Playing for VfL Bochum at the time, Buckley was seen as a bright future prospect for South African football. He didn’t feature in Bafana’s opener against France, but came off the bench in their games against Denmark and Saudi Arabia. Over the next 14 years, Buckley would go on to become a key player for the national team, going on to earn 73 caps. He currently runs a skills academy in Durban, and  works as brand ambassador for former German club Arminia Bielefeld on projects with disadvantaged children in South Africa.

Doctor Khumalo (Midfielder, 30 years old)

Probably the finest footballer South Africa has ever seen, Doctor Khumalo was in his prime in 1998. But for some reason, Troussier didn’t think he was important for his system. Khumalo featured just once, coming off the bench in the third game against Saudi Arabia. After retiring, Khumalo embarked on a coaching career, and during the 2002/03 season, he was co-coach alongside Donald “Aaaaaace” Khuse when Kaizer Chiefs won the league. In recent years, Khumalo has worked as a brand ambassador and pundit.

Lebogang Morula (Midfielder, 29 years old)

The former Jomo Cosmos man was known for his exceptional skills, speed and goal scoring ability. He played just once for Bafana Bafana, a friendly against Iceland in his short-lived international career. Once he retired from the game, things didn’t go as well for him as he found himself on the wrong side of the law a number of times. He was arrested for crimes such as hijacking, stealing cars, generators, and electronic goods, as well as ATM and armed robbery. Last year, he was shot and killed near his family home.

William Mokoena (Midfielder, 23 years old)

Naughty Mokoena was a member of Bafana Bafana’s squad at the World Cup in France, but he never played a single game for the national team. Mokoena was a talented midfielder known for his creativity in the middle of the park. Unfortunately, he was also notorious for his misdemeanors off it, hence the nickname. He was one of two players sent home and fined R100,000 after breaking curfew set by the coach. Mokoena has since opened the Naughty Mokoena Foundation with the aim of uplifting communities through sport. He’s also spoken about his regret over what happened in France.

Phil Masinga (Striker, 28 years old)

Masinga famously scored the goal in a qualifier against the Republic of Congo that sent Bafana Bafana to France. Having been South Africa’s main striker leading up to the competition, the emergence of Benni McCarthy meant Masinga saw limited game time. He started the opener against France, and came off the bench in the game Denmark. In the third game against Saudi Arabia, Masinga didn’t see any action. The former Sundowns and Leeds United man played his last game for Bafana Bafana in 2001, and would hand up his boots the following year. In 2003 he was named one of the bid ambassadors and was present in Zurich when South Africa was awarded host status for the 2010 World Cup. In 2019, Masinga died in hospital after a long battle with cancer.

Benni McCarthy (Striker, 20 years old)

McCarthy was the star of the show and the face of Bafana Bafana’s World Cup campaign after announcing himself on the international stage in the Africa Cup of Nations earlier that year. In the lead-up to the tournament, he featured in the famous TKZee track Shibobo, that remains popular to this day. In Bafana’s second game against Denmark, McCarthy slid the ball through Peter Schmeichel’s legs to score South Africa’s first-ever goal in the tournament. After that, he would go from strength to strength and establish himself as one of the best African players in Europe. In 2004, McCarthy became the first – and so far only – South African to win a Champions League medal. He retired as Bafana’s all-time top goalscorer, and remains so to this day. Since hanging up his boots, McCarthy has stayed in the game. In 2017, he was appointed to his first head coach job by Cape Town City. Three years later, he guided AmaZulu to CAF Champions League qualification for the first-time ever. In 2022, McCarthy was appointed as a member of Erik ten Hag’s backroom staff at Premier League giants Manchester United. In March of 2025, he was named as the head coach of the Kenya national team.

Shaun Bartlett (Striker, 25 years old)

In 1998, Bartlett was one of South Africa’s deadliest strikers. As a footballer, he was intelligent, efficient, and technically solid. He was brilliant in the air and was clinical with both feet. In South Africa’s third game, he scored both goals as they drew 2-2 with Saudi Arabia. After the tournament, he remained an important player until 2005, notching up 74 caps, scoring 29 goals. Only McCarthy has scored more goals for Bafana Bafana. He also spent six years in the Premier League, playing for Charlton Athletic, where his 2000/01 goal against Leicester City was named Goal of the Season. Since retiring, Bartlett has remained involved in football, and has held a number of coaching jobs, including as head coach of Golden Arrows, University of Pretoria, and Cape Town Spurs. He also spent two years as the assistant coach at Kaizer Chiefs, one of the clubs he played for during his illustrious career.

Brendan Augustine (Striker, 26 years old)

Alongside Naughty Mokoena, Augustine was sent home from the World Cup for breaking team curfew. He started the first match against France, and was taken off at half time in the second. After that, he never played for Bafana Bafana again. In 1996, it’s alleged he turned down an opportunity to go to the Africa Cup of Nations, choosing instead to go on trial in Austria. According to LinkdIn, Augustine is currently the Sports Coordinator at Northriding High School in Johanneburg, and also runs the Brendan Augustine Football Academy.

Jerry Sikhosana (Striker, 29 years old)

A formidable goal poacher, Sikhosana earned the nickname “Legs of Thunder” after a champion racehorse that was a character on an old SABC series. In France, Sikhosana featured in just one game where he came off the bench against Saudi Arabia. Today, the legendary Sikhosana works as a football analyse and commentator.

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