Old School, SAFA combine to revive the 1996 glory days

The winning kit of the Africa Cup of Nations 1996 has been reinterpreted and launched as an official premium knitted jersey, just as Bafana Bafana prepare to open the 2026 FIFA World Cup against hosts Mexico on Thursday, 11 June.

The South African Football Association (SAFA) has approved the production and retail of this historic release under the official licensed programme by the premium leisurewear brand, Old School. 

The SAFA Heritage Kit connects the historic moment Bafana Bafana are stepping into with the era that first made the world take notice.

The 1996 jersey is inseparable from the greatest chapter in South African football. It was worn during the build-up to the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations, which won on home soil. More than the trophies and the results, what the country remembers is the spirit of that era: a team that played with joy, a nation that believed together, and a green-and-gold shirt that became the symbol of both.

https://t.co/zaL7p4DrVQ — SAFA.net (@SAFA_net) June 5, 2026

That jersey has never really left. It lives in the photographs, the highlight reels, and the conversations whenever South Africans talk about the football that made them fall in love with Bafana Bafana. Now, 30 years later, as this generation prepares to carry the green and gold onto the world stage again, SAFA is officially bringing it back.

The 1996 Heritage Kit is not a replica. SAFA has authorised the reinterpretation of the classic jersey design as an official premium knitted soccer jersey – true to the look and feeling of the era, built to a standard the legacy deserves.

The result is something supporters can wear with the same pride as the players who first pulled on those colours thirty years ago.

“As Bafana head to the World Cup, we wanted to give supporters something that connects this moment to where it all started,” said SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao.

“The 1996 Heritage Kit represents a chapter of South African football that means everything to this country. Bringing it back felt like the right way to honour that history and celebrate what lies ahead.”

CLICK HERE to check out the selection at Old School…