Orange Free State Bantu F.C

Orange Free State Bantu Football Club was the first Black South African football team to tour and play in Europe. The team made history by playing about 50 matches in England, France, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.[1][2][3]

History

Football in South Africa was introduced mainly due to the discovery of diamonds and gold in the latter half of the 19th century, and it was made popular by the British military, who were stationed in South Africa during the Anglo-Zulu War and the First Boer War in the late 1870s and early 1880s.

Oranje Free State Bantu F.C. was founded in the late 1890s in Bloemfontein, today the Free State province of South Africa by the whites-only Orange Free State Football Association.[4] [5][6][7][8]The team consisted of entirely Black South Africans, with M.D. "Toffy" Roberts, Lionel Nathan, Percy Day and Arthur Moss as the only white settlers on the team because of their active involvement in the footballing community.

European tour

In September 1899, the Oranje Free State Bantu F.C. left from Cape Town,South Africa for Southampton in Europe on the Union Steamship Company vessel called the SS Gaika.[9] The team arrived at the time of the largest African exhibition ever held in London, organized by circus owner Frank Fillis. Over two hundred Africans and dozens of Afrikaners were brought to London to re-enact battles, songs, and dances in front of paying crowds at Earl's Court, and the team was mistaken to be part of the exhibition.[10][11]

Led by captain Joseph Twayi, the Orange Free State Bantu F.C. lost their first match 6-3 at St. James’ Park in front of a crowd of around 6,000. The next evening they faced a second division side of, Sunderland at Roker Park, where they were defeated. On Saturday, October 7, 1899, the Orange Free State touring side faced Leicester Fosse, where they were defeated 7-3.[12] On the eve of the Second Anglo-Boer War, also known as the South African War of 1899-1902, the team faced Nottingham Forest F.C. and declared their loyalty to the Queen.[13] Later in November they played with Aston Villa F.C. at a match that brought a crowd of around 4,000 together.

Aftermath

Out of their 49 fixtures during their tour in Europe, Orange Free State Bantu F.C. only managed one win against a French side, SC Tourcoing. The last match fixture was on 2nd January 1900 against Aberdare F.C. in Wales. Throughout their tour, the team was faced with racism and were called Kaffirs in many news reports.[3][14] In later years, the team captain, Joseph Twayi became the general treasurer of the SANNC, later to be known as the African National Congress.[13][15]

References

  1. ↑ Heffernan, Conor (2016-07-09). "PIONEERS AND PARIAHS: ORANGE FREE STATE BANTU F.C - Physical Culture Study". Physicalculturestudy.com. Retrieved 2026-05-27.
  2. ↑ Bandyopadhyay, Kausik; Mallick, Sabyasachi (2013-09-13). Fringe Nations in World Soccer. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-99810-5.
  3. 1 2 "The 1899 Orange Free State football team tour of Europe : 'Race', imperial loyalty and sporting contest" (PDF). Scispace.com. Retrieved 2026-07-15.
  4. ↑ Alegi, Peter (2004). Laduma!: Soccer, Politics and Society in South Africa. University of KwaZulu-Natal Press. ISBN 978-1-86914-040-3.
  5. ↑ Nauright, John (1998). Sport, Cultures, and Identities in South Africa. David Philip. ISBN 978-0-86486-426-0.
  6. ↑ Goldblatt, David (2002-09-26). World Soccer Yearbook 2003: The Complete Guide to the Game. Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-7894-8943-2.
  7. ↑ "M Stofile: International Year of African Football and 2010 World Cup workshop | South African Government". www.gov.za. Retrieved 2026-06-02.
  8. ↑ "Football in South Africa Timeline 1862-2012 | South African History Online". sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 2026-06-02.
  9. ↑ "Joseph Twayi". Soccer History Magazine. Retrieved 2026-06-02.
  10. ↑ "Our Migration Story: The Making of Britain". Ourmigrationstory.org.uk. Retrieved 2026-05-27.
  11. ↑ Laycock, Stuart; Laycock, Philip (2022-10-13). How Britain Brought Football to the World. History Press. ISBN 978-1-80399-221-1.
  12. ↑ "A Pioneering but Troubled Journey: The 1899 South African Football Tour of Europe". Leicestershire Football Archive. 2025-10-08. Retrieved 2026-05-28.
  13. 1 2 Odendaal, André (2012). The Founders: The Origins of the ANC and the Struggle for Democracy in South Africa. Jacana Media. ISBN 978-1-4314-0291-5.
  14. ↑ "Front page, Tempo, 11 September 1928, evening edition". doi.org. doi:10.3998/mpub.9294519.cmp.4. Retrieved 2026-05-27.
  15. ↑ Limb, Peter (2024-12-02). The ANC's Early Years: Nation, Class and Place in South Africa before 1940. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-040-31006-9.
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