Football, or as its more commonly referred to in South Africa, soccer, 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.

History Soccer first arrived in South Africa through colonialism in the late nineteenth century, as the game was popular among British soldiers. From the earliest days of the sport in South Africa until the end of apartheid, organised soccer was affected by the country's system of racial segregation. The all-white Football Association of South Africa (FASA), was formed in 1892, while the South African Indian Football Association (SAIFA), the South African Bantu Football Association (SABFA) and the South African Coloured Football Association (SACFA) were founded in 1903, 1933 and 1936 respectively.

In 1903 the SAFA re-affiliated with the English The Football Association after the Second Boer War between the British Empire and the Boer states. There was a plan to play a tournament held in Argentina, with South Africa and Fulham as guest teams, but it was not carried out. Nevertheless, South Africa traveled to South America in 1906 to play a series of friendly matches there.Before The 'D'...Association Football around the world, 1863-1937 , page 4

South Africa played a total of 12 matches in South America, winning 11 with 60 goals scored and only 7 conceded. Some of the rivals were Belgrano A.C., Argentina national team, a Liga Rosarina combined, Estudiantes (BA) and Quilmes.Gira Sudamericana de Sudáfrica 1906 on Fútbol Nostalgia website The only team that could beat South Africa was Argentine Alumni by 1–0 at Sociedad Sportiva stadium of Buenos Aires, on 24 June, although the South African would take revenge on 22 July, defeating Alumni by 2–0.

The players were exclusively white, civil servants, government employees, bankers and civil engineers. Seven of the 15 players were born in South Africa and 8 originated from England and Scotland.

South Africa was one of four African nations to attend FIFA's 1953 congress, at which the four demanded, and won, representation on the FIFA executive committee.Goldblatt, The Ball is Round: A Global History of Football, p493 Thus the four nations (South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan) founded the Confederation of African Football in 1956, and the South African representative, Fred Fell, sat at the first meeting as a founding member. It soon became clear however that South Africa's constitution prohibited racially mixed teams from competitive sport and so they could only send either an all-black side or an all-white side to the planned 1957 African Cup of Nations. This was unacceptable to the other members of the Confederation and South Africa were disqualified from the competition, however some sources say that they withdrew voluntarily.

At the second CAF conference in 1958 South Africa were formally expelled from CAF. The all-white (FASA) were admitted to FIFA in the same year, but in August 1960 it was given an ultimatum of one year to fall in line with the non-discriminatory regulations of FIFA. On 26 September 1961 at the annual FIFA conference, the South African association was formally suspended from FIFA. Sir Stanley Rous, president of The Football Association of England and a champion of South Africa's FIFA membership, was elected FIFA President a few days later. Rous was adamant that sport, and FIFA in particular, should not embroil itself in political matters and against fierce opposition he continued to resist attempts to expel South Africa from FIFA. The suspension was lifted in January 1963 after a visit to South Africa by Rous in order to investigate the state of soccer in the country.

Rous declared that if the suspension were not lifted, soccer there would be discontinued, possibly to the point of no recovery. The next annual conference of FIFA in October 1964 took place in Tokyo and was attended by a larger contingent of representatives from African and Asian associations and here the suspension of South Africa's membership was re-imposed. In 1976, after the Soweto uprising, they were formally expelled from FIFA. South Africa was suspended by FIFA from 1961 to 1992 because of the country's apartheid policies, banning the country from international competition (including the FIFA World Cup), and severely stunting the growth of the domestic game.

In 1991, when the apartheid system was beginning to be demolished, a new non-racial South African Football Association was formed, and admitted to FIFA. On 7 July 1992, the South African national team played their first game in two decades, beating Cameroon 1–0. Since the integration of the country, it has developed the most sophisticated professional soccer structure in Africa, the Premier Soccer League. South Africa qualified for the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, but failed to progress past the group stage both times. They hosted (and won) the 1996 African Cup of Nations and hosted the 2010 World Cup, the first African nation to do so.

South African soccer leagues structure

Football association

The first non-racial, singular football association in South Africa was formed in 1991, and named the South African Football Association (SAFA). Previously, there had been a number of different, racially divided football bodies. These bodies, the Football Association of South Africa, the South African Soccer Association, the South African Soccer Federation and the South African National Football Association came together to form SAFA on 8 December 1991. SAFA was given observer status at the Confederation of African Football in January 1992. The association was accepted into FIFA in June 1992, allowing its teams to play international matches.

SAFA currently control all national soccer teams, and most soccer leagues in South Africa. The notable exceptions are the Premiership and the National First Division, the top two leagues in the country. The leagues are controlled by the Premier Soccer League, which also controls most major cup competitions.

League system

South Africa has a number of different soccer leagues, controlled by different organisations. The top two leagues are professional or semi-professional, and run by the PSL. The lower leagues are mostly amateur, and run by SAFA.

1PremiershipBetway Premiership(16 teams) 2National First DivisionMotsepe Foundation Championship(16 teams) 3SAFA Second DivisionEastern Cape(16 teams)KwaZulu-Natal(16 teams)Northern Cape(16 teams)Western Cape(16 teams)Free State(16 teams)Gauteng(16 teams)Limpopo(16 teams)Mpumalanga(16 teams)North West(16 teams) 4SAFA Regional LeagueAlfred Nzo Amathole Cacadu Chris Hani Nelson Mandela Bay OR Tambo UkhahlambaAmajuba Ethekwini iLembe Sisonke Ugu Umgungundlovu Umkhanyakude Umzinyathi Uthukela Uthungulu ZululandFrances Baard Kgalagadi Namakwa Pixley-Ka-Seme SiyandaBoland Cape Town Central Karoo Eden Overberg West CoastFezile Dabi Lejweleputswa Motheo Thabo Mofutsanyana XhariepEkurhuleni Johannesburg Metsweding Sedibeng Tshwane West RandCapricorn Mopani Sekhukhune Vhembe WaterbergEhlanzeni Gert Sibande NkangalaBojanala Bophirima Central Southern 5Local Football Association LeaguesNelson Mandela Bay KUYGA (Greenbushes area) LAROFA (Langa and Rosedale) MOFA (Motherwell area) NAFA (Northern areas) NEBFA (Newbrighton area) NODEFA (Nobuhle, Khayelitsha and Despatch) PEEFA (Port Elizabeth East area) PEFA (Western suburbs) PENFA (Port Elizabeth North area) WAFA (Walmer area) ZAFA (Zakhele area) ZWIFA (Zwidearea) Chris Hani Emalahleni Engcobo Inkwanca Intsika Yethu Inxuba Yethemba Lukanji Sakhisizwe Tsolwana Cacadu/Sarah Baartman Baviaans Blue Crane Route Camdeboo Ikwezi Kouga Kou-kamma Makana Ndlambe Sunday's River Valle Amahlathi Great kei Mbashe Mnguma Ngqushwa Nkonkobe Nxuba Joe Gqabi Elundi Gariep Maletswai Senqu Alfred Nzo Matatiele Mbizana Ntabankulu Umzimvubu O.R. Tambo King Sabata Dalindyebo Mhlontlo Nqguza Hill Nyandeni Port St Johns Buffalo City Bunkers West East London Central East London North East London West King Central King East Mdantsane Royal RharhabeUgu Hibiscus Umdoni uMuziwabantu Umzumbe Vulamehlo Zingoleni SAFA Umgungundlovu Impendle Mkhambathini Mpofana Richmond The Msunduzi uMngeni uMshwathi Uthukela Emnambithi / Ladysmith Imbabazane Indaka Okhahlamba Umtshezi SAFA Umzinyathi Emdumeni Msinga Nquthu Umvoti Amajuba Dannhauser Emandlangeni New Castle Zululand eDumbe Nongoma Ulundi UPhongolo Umkhanyakude Jozini Mtubatuba The Big 5 False Bay Umhlabuyalingana Uthungulu Mfolozi Mtambanana Mthonjaneni Nkandla uMhlathuze uMlalazi Ilembe KwaDukuza Mandeni Maphumulo Ndwedwe Sisonke/Harry Gwala Ebuhlebezwe Greater Kokstad Ingwe Kwa Sani Umzimkhulu Ethekwini Chatsworth Clermont Durban Central Durban South Greater Durban Greater Cato Ridge Greater Hillcrest Hammersdale Inanda Kwa Mashu Ntuzuma Phoenix Pinetown Pinetown South Reunion Tongaat Umlazi Verulam Amanzimtoti Umbumbulu UmkhomaziCape Town Atlantis Athlone-Heideveld Tygerberg Crossroads Delft-Mfuleni Good Hope Guguletu Helderberg Khayelitsha Mandela Park Metropolitan Mitchells Plain Langa Ndabeni Northern Suburbs Nyanga Two Ocean Oostenberg Greater Philippi Manenberg Rygate Cape District Lingelethu Masakhane Dunoon Makhaza Mfuleni South PeninsulaJohannesburg Alex North Deep South Eldorado Greater Mayfair Jowest Midrand Orange Farm Rand Central Roodepoort Soweto

South African Premiership

The Premier Soccer League, the league's governing body, was founded in 1996, as a merger between the National Premier Soccer League and the National Soccer League. The Premiership is the current top league in South Africa, with the winner being crowned as the national champion. The league is made up of 16 teams, all of which are professional. At the end of each season one team is automatically relegated to the National First Division, a second team may also be relegated through a play-off. The relegated teams are replaced by one or two teams from the National First Division.

National First Division

The National First Division is the current second tier in South African soccer. The league is made up of 16 teams, which are either professional or semi-professional. The league is governed and controlled by the Premier Soccer League. The league winner is automatically promoted to the Premiership at the end of the season. Another highly placed team may also be promoted through a play-off. At the end of the season the bottom two clubs are relegated, and replaced by two play-off winners from the SAFA Second Division.

SAFA Second Division

The SAFA Second Division is the third tier of South African soccer, and the highest tier directly controlled by the South African Football Association. The league is played on a provincial basis, with nine separate provincial competitions (some having parallel streams), and is made up mostly of semi-professional sides. At the end of the season the nine league winners enter into a series of play-offs to earn the two promotion places in the National First Division. The bottom two teams in each league are relegated to the SAFA Regional League.

SAFA Regional League

The SAFA Regional League is the fourth tier of South African soccer, and the second highest tier controlled by the South African Football Association. The league is made up of 832 clubs, divided into 52 leagues. Each of the 52 leagues is associated with one of the nine provincial leagues in the SAFA Second Division, and are usually amateur teams. The regional league winners enter into a series of play-offs in their province, to gain two places in each provincial league in the SAFA Second Division.

LFA Soccer Leagues