Stellenbosch will become the 24th club to represent South Africa in continental club competition when they met the Eswatini debutant Nsingizini Hotspurs in Durban on Saturday.
They play the both legs of their African Confederation Cup first round tie at the Moses Mabhida Stadium because the Swazis do not have a suitable stadium and Stellenbosch were unable to find a useable pitch in the rain-hampered Western Cape.
Of the other 23 clubs, only Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates have won the continent’s top prize, the Champions League, while Kaizer Chiefs won the now defunct African Cup Winners’ cup.
THESE ARE ALL SOUTH AFRICA’S PAST PERFORMERS
Ajax Cape Town: As league runners-up, Ajax went to the Champions League in 2005 and got to the group phase. They also competed twice in the Confederation Cup.
AmaZulu: Usuthu went from last to runners-up in the league in 2021 to qualify for the Champions League where they reached the group phase but then fired coach Benni McCarthy as the owner’s sense of expectation lost all perspective when they did not advance to the quarterfinals.
Black Leopards: The team from Thohoyandou qualified for the Confederation Cup in 2012 as cup runners-up and after being relegated. The surprised all with their run to the fourth round before being eliminated by Sudan giants Al Merreikh.
Bloemfontein Celtic: Qualification for the Confederation Cup came amid their financial crisis but lost home and away to Nigerian opposition in the second round in the 2020-21 season.
Cape Town City: A 3-0 defeat to Angola’s Petro Atletico two seasons ago in the second round of the Champions League was the worst home loss suffered by a South African club in continental club competition.
Free State Stars: After winning the Nedbank Cup in 2018, the Bethlehem-based team went to the Confederation Cup but were disappointingly eliminated at the first hurdle by Mukura Victory of Rwanda.
Hellenic: One of the three teams who represented the country in the first foray into African club competition, going out in the second round of the old CAF Cup in 1993.
Jomo Cosmos: They played the first match involving a South African side in continental competition in 1993 and went onto reach to the African Cup Winners’ Cup semifinal but were also relegated from the domestic league.
Kaizer Chiefs: The country’s first representative is the old African Champions Cup in 1993 where they reached the quarterfinals. They were Cup Winners’ Cup victors in 2001 and Champions League runners-up 20 years later.
Mamelodi Sundowns: African champions in 2016 and runners-up in 2001, they will be competing in the Champions League for a 11th successive season in the next campaign.
Manning Rangers: The first PSL champions competed in the Champions League in 1998 and reached the group phase but never qualified for continental competition again.
Marumo Gallants: Semifinalists in the Confederation Cup in 2023 but relegated at the same time as arguments over bonus money took their toll.
Moroka Swallows: The Birds competed in the CAF Cup in 1994 and Confederation Cup in 2010 but were eliminated early on both occasions.
Orlando Pirates: First South African club to win a continental trophy as Jerry Sikhosana snatched a dramatic away winner in the two-legged final against ASEC Abidjan in 1995. They have been runners-up since, in 2013, and also reached two Confederation Cup finals.
Platinum Stars: Played in the Champions League in 2008 after finishing second in the league and went through three rounds before a narrow 3-2 aggregate defeat to Al Ahly of Egypt. They were also in the group phase of the Confederation Cup in 2017.
Royal AM: After finishing third in their debut season, the club got to the third round of the 2022-23 edition of the Confederation Cup before being eliminated by Congolese club TP Mazembe.
Santos: League winners in 2002, they went into the Champions League first round the next year but lost 9-8 on penalties to Simba of Tanzania after both sides failed to score over the two legs of the tie.
Sekhukhune United: Qualifying as 2023 Nedbank Cup runners-up, the club from Polokwane got to the group phase of last season’s Confederation Cup. They are back for a second tilt and have a bye into September’s second round.
SuperSport United: Narrow losers to the TP Mazembe in the 2017 Confederation Cup final, they also qualified for the group phase of the Champions League on their debut in 2004.
TS Galaxy: After their shock win in the 2019 Nedbank Cup, they played in the Confederation Cup and reached the third round even though they were a second division side.
Vaal Professionals: Runners-up to league winners Cape Town Spurs in the cup final, they played in the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1995, losing to Yanga from Tanzania but signing their star player Shabani Nonda.
Witbank Aces: Cup winners in 1993, they participated in the Cup Winners’ Cup the next year but lost to opposition from the French-controlled island of Reunion in the second round.
Wits University: Twice in the Champions League and seven times in the Confederation Cup, Wits fielded second string sides preferring to keep their key players for domestic obligations.