The captain of South Africa's homeless football team, Martin Africa, has been waging a 14-year battle with the Department of Home Affairs to obtain an identity document, which he said had cost him a trip abroad and a permanent job.

The 32-year-old said he had lost count of the many times he had applied for an ID. He had first applied for one when he was 18.

His last attempt was in September, when he submitted his application to the Department of Home Affairs in Barrack Street. It was the latest in a series of failed attempts to obtain an ID.

Without an ID, Africa said his life had been "standing still".

Though captain of South Africa's Homeless Football Team, he was unable to accompany his teammates when they travelled to Australia to compete in the Homeless World Cup last December.

Africa, who does odd jobs to support himself and his two-year-old son Renuld, works with the MyLife organisation in Gardens, which helps to rehabilitate streetchildren.

Originally from Clarke Estate, near Elsies River, Africa spent many years living on the street, where he joined a gang.

He has also spent five years in prison for attempted murder - Africa was 18 at the time and had applied for an ID for the first time before he went to jail.

When he was released, Africa committed himself to getting the best out of his soccer talents.

But the lack of an ID has posed a major stumbling block for his sporting career.

"I thought football would give me a future. I've been playing soccer for many years, but this problem with my ID means I can never play for the first team, who travel a lot."

Africa said he was starting to lose hope.

"Every time I go to them, it's a different story. Then they lost my fingerprints, then they can't find the application. Without an ID you have no work, then you have no income. I don't want to find myself back on the streets begging."

He has also been unable to secure permanent employment.

"I was working for a good company and they wanted to make me permanent, but then they couldn't because I didn't have an ID."

Africa said he battled to understand what the problem was, given that he had provided Home Affairs with a copy of his mother's ID and an affidavit from his primary school principal which included his date of birth.

Even his attempted murder conviction and subsequent imprisonment should mean authorities had his official records, said Africa.

"I see my friends sitting with their bank cards and I kick myself. Simple things like that I cannot do. This is keeping me from living my life."

Thabo Mokgola, from the department's media relations section, said Africa's application was taking longer because it was not an ordinary ID application.

"The process is at an advanced stage.

"It must be pointed out that an application for late registration of birth cannot be compared with a straightforward application for an identity document, as the birth must first be registered in the population register, whereafter the applicant comes back in order to apply for an identity document."

Mokgola said the minimum waiting period for such an application was around six months.

"The regional office handled this case from the beginning with urgency, given Mr Africa's position in the South African Homeless Football Team."