This summer’s tournament is only South Africa’s fifth World Cup. Bafana Bafana have a relatively favourable group with Mexico, Czechia, and South Korea, but they are hardly betting favourites to go all the way.
It’s a squad dominated by players based in the topflight of South Africa football, with only nine of the 26 playing abroad.
On paper, it’s a squad that looks like it will be overmatched in all three of their group games, but it won’t make much to progress in this expanded World Cup, with 48 teams competing for the Jules Rimet Trophy.
What is the average salary for South Africa players?
The average salary in the South African Premiership is around £40,000. That, for avoidance of doubt, is the average.
Of course, many players around the world earn more than that per week, and a select few earn more than that per day.
Salaries will be higher than that average for some of the more experienced players, and those based in Europe (like Lyle Foster and Ime Okon) are going to be on considerably more.
Who are the top earning players for South Africa?
Foster is believed to earn £32,500 per week, which is almost certainly the highest salary earned by a South African player. Playing for Hannover, football betting giants in Germany, Okon is on around £30,000 per week, according to Capology.
Sphephelo Sithole, currently playing for Tondela in Portugal, is thought to be on £3,000 per week, which is significantly more than the average in the South African Premiership.
How much does the South Africa manager earn?
Hugo Broos, South Africa’s manager, is reportedly the third-highest paid manager in African football on around £840,000 per year.
Broos, a former Belgian defender, led Cameroon to AFCON glory in 2017.
