Bafana must maintain Afcon momentum
Bafana Bafana cannot afford to bask in the afterglow of their heroic bronze medal finish at the African Cup of Nations because critical backto-back World Cup qualifiers are looming in June. SA coach Hugo Broos will be desperate for his team to maintain the momentum they gained during Afcon when they surprised friend and foe with a series of impressive displays.
First up for Bafana is a daunting trip to face beaten Afcon finalists Nigeria on June 3, before a home match against an unpredictable Zimbabwean side on June 10.
Ahead of those games, SA face Andorra and Algeria in two high-profile friendly matches in Algeria.
Bafana will meet Andorra on March 21 in Annaba before taking on Algeria in Baraki on March 26 in vital warm-ups.
Ranked 58th in the world and 10th in Africa, Bafana exceeded expectations at Afcon and this success has created a new belief that SA have the firepower needed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup finals.
After two qualifying games, Rwanda are top of the World Cup group C qualifying log with four points.
SA have three, Nigeria, Lesotho and Zimbabwe two and Benin one in the race to reach the World Cup finals which will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the US.
Central to Bafana’s hopes will be inspirational skipper Ronwen Williams who was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament at Afcon after a series of stunning displays between the posts.
Broos knows consistency will be vital for Bafana who cannot afford to buckle under the weight of expectation after their Afcon success.
After getting off to a winning World Cup start against Benin in Durban, Bafana slumped to a shock 2-0 defeat against minnows Rwanda at Stade Huye in Butare two days later.
The Rwanda clash had been a perfect opportunity for Bafana to take charge of Group C, but they let the moment slip through their fingers.
Group favourites Nigeria had left the door open for Bafana after they drew at home to unfancied Lesotho and away against Zimbabwe.
Victory over Nigeria on foreign soil would be proof Bafana have indeed turned a corner under Broos.