Who has played the most matches at the World Cup finals for Bafana Bafana?

Bafana Bafana is preparing for their fourth participation in the World Cup finals, after earning spots in 1998 and 2002, followed by hosting duties in 2010.

The team has taken part in a total of nine games overall, exiting at the group stage every time, and in 2010 they became the initial host country to suffer that fate.

Forty-six unique individuals have donned the national colours at the World Cup, though four players each boast six outings, marking the peak for any participant.

Forward Benni McCarthy, central defender Lucas Radebe, and midfield player Quinton Fortune all featured during the 1998 and 2002 tournaments, starting in all encounters for the squad at those events.

Central defender Aaron Mokoena took the field in each of the three matches in 2002, then returned for the 2010 edition where he served as team leader. He maintains the benchmark for total international games with 107 and as captain with 67 in the nation's records.

Right behind them come Macbeth Sibaya with games in 2002 and 2010, along with Pierre Issa from 1998 and 2002, both registering four appearances apiece.

No custodian has surpassed three games, as Hans Vonk was the main choice in 1998 and Andre Arendse in 2002. For 2010, Itumeleng Khune handled the opening pair of fixtures until his dismissal against Uruguay paved the way for Moeneeb Josephs to guard the net during the triumph over France.

Among other key figures stand Delron Buckley and George Koumantarakis, each securing three involvements purely from the substitutes bench. They share the distinction for the highest number of such entries.

Over the course of those nine fixtures, 99 players received starting berths, complemented by 23 substitutions made.