Bafana Bafana

British

/ baˈfɑːna /

plural noun

the official name for the South African national soccer team

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Bafana Bafana

C20: from Nguni bafana the boys

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

One of the most high-profile examples of prolonged delays is the murder case of Senzo Meyiwa - a beloved footballer who captained the national team, Bafana Bafana, and played for one of the country's most popular clubs, Orlando Pirates, in the local league.

From BBC

Earlier, Oswin Appollis converted a late penalty to give South Africa victory against Zimbabwe in Marrakesh as Bafana Bafana qualified for the knockout stage.

From Barron's

The game, which ended 1-1, is best remembered for Siphiwe Tshabalala's rasping second-half strike to put Bafana Bafana in front.

From BBC

After Nigeria beat South Africa in the semi-finals, some Nigerians mocked Bafana Bafana fans, saying it was revenge for the success of South Africa's Tyler over Nigeria's Afrobeats stars at the Grammys.

From BBC

Popular Nigerian pastor Jimmy Odukoya has also joined the jesting by commending Bafana Bafana for their performance despite their defeat, but telling the South African players: "You need water."

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023