Soccer in South Africa

Soccer in South Africa
CountrySouth Africa
Governing bodySAFA
National team(s)South Africa
Nickname(s)Bafana Bafana (National team)
First playedlate-19th century
Registered players1,469,410 (registered)
4,540,410 (total)
Clubs900
National competitions
Club competitions
International competitions

Association football, or soccer, as it is usually called in South Africa, is the nation's most popular sport followed by rugby union and cricket. The governing body is the South African Football Association (SAFA), while the Premier Soccer League is the organisation responsible for running the country's two professional divisions, namely the South African Premiership and the National First Division. The main cup competitions are the Nedbank Cup and the MTN 8 Cup.