3 Reasons why South Africa Will and Won't Win the World Cup

#1 Why They Won't - South Africa's World Cup Curse

Australia celebrates as they tie the 1999 semi-final, resulting in them going through to the final

A curse is the only way to describe how the South Africans have failed to win the World Cup let alone make it to the final. Due to an international boycott campaign against Apartheid in South Africa, and the ICC ban meant that the team missed the first 4 World Cups, finally participating in 1992 after the ban was lifted in 1991.

At their first World Cup, South Africa would face England in the semi-finals and a rain delay in the match changed the game. Instead of requiring 22 off 13 balls, South Africa returned to the field needing 22 off 1 ball. In 1996, South Africa finished undefeated at the top of their group but was eliminated by the West Indies in the quarter-finals. In 1999, South Africa was eliminated after a calamitous game against Australia in the Semi-Finals.

In 2003, while co-hosting the tournament, the Proteas failed to make it out of the group stage for the first and only time. The 2007 World Cup saw South Africa lose to Australia once again in the semi-final stage. South Africa would then be knocked out of consecutive World Cups by New Zealand in the 2011 quarter-finals and the 2015 semi-finals.