Bafana Bafana legends of 1998: Where are they now?

22:37 GMT+3 08/12/2022

SA were not overawed by the occasion and while they lost to the hosts, they managed draws with Denmark and Saudi Arabia to finish third in their group

It was a star-studded Bafana Bafana side which represented South Africa with pride at their first-ever World Cup - France 1998.
Bafana also qualified for the 2002 World Cup in Korea/ Japan, and featured in the 2010 version as the host country.

Now 24 years since South Africa debuted at the World Cup, it's arguable that the 1998 side was the best-ever Bafana team, many of those players also having been part of the 1996 Afcon winning unit.

For the most part, many of the class of 98 legends are still involved in the game.

backpagepix

Hans Vonk

The former Bafana Bafana number one spent nearly a decade at Ajax Cape Town where he ended his playing career and later became head of youth development and director of football. But when the Cape side split from their Dutch counterparts in 2020, Vonk parted ways and is yet to return to the game.
Getty Images

Pierre Issa

Having previously worked as sporting director of Greek side Olympiacos, Issa is now operating as a football agent in Europe.
Backpagepix

Lucas Radebe

Radebe runs the Lucas Radebe Management Company, a collaboration between South African brands and community projects.
The former Bafana Bafana, Leeds United and Kaizer Chiefs player is on the Confederation of African Football (Caf) Technical and Development Committee. In September 2022 he was also named on the Safa technical committee. He reportedly harbours ambitions of one day becoming the Safa president.
Gallo

Willem Jackson

After retiring from football, the tough-tackling ex Bafana Bafana and Buccaneers centre-back coached at Platinum Stars and Highlands Park.
Backpagepix

Mark Fish

The former Lazio, Orlando Pirates, Jomo Cosmos and Bolton Wanders defender is currently running the Mark Fish foundation, an organization which has been doing great work in football development in rural locations all over South Africa.
Gallo Images

David Nyathi

The former Cape Town Spurs, Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana left-back is working on the Safa Technical Committee these days. He was also an assistant coach previously at Ajax Cape Town.
Backpagepix

Doctor Khumalo

Legendary ex-Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana midfielder Khumalo is a regular television analyst and also is a newspaper columnist.
Getty Images

Quinton Fortune

After spending many years as a youth coach and ambassador at Manchester United (where he also previously played under Sir Alex Ferguson), the Cape Town born Fortune was just last month announced as assistant coach at Mexican Liga MX side Deportivo Guadalajara.
Gallo Images

John Moshoeu

Sadly one of South African football's greatest ever talents succumbed to stomach cancer on 21 April 2015 at the Morningside Hospital after a lengthy battle, aged just 49.
Backpagepix

Shaun Bartlett

Bartlett is the head coach at second-tier side Cape Town Spurs (formerly Ajax Cape Town), having previously coached at Golden Arrows, Kaizer Chiefs, AmaTuks and TS Galaxy.
Getty Images

Phil Masinga

Tragically South African football also lost another of it's heroes, Masinga, also to cancer. Like Moshoeu the former Leeds United and Mamelodi Sundowns striker was only 49 when he passed on, in 2019.
https://twitter.com/ManUtd

Benni McCarthy

Having enjoyed success as a coach in the PSL with Cape Town City and AmaZulu, Bafana Bafana's all-time leading goalscorer is now living the dream as a coach at Manchester United where he's tasked with working with the forwards.