Bafana need to build on positive Afcon to clinch World Cup spot
After an impressive Africa Cup of Nations campaign, the work continues for Bafana Bafana. The 2026 Fifa World Cup is the next big target for the team. By Yanga Sibembe
South Africa is still basking in the warmth of their most memorable Africa Cup of Nations display in almost three decades. But Hugo Broos and his men cannot afford to rest on their laurels. The next mission, which is Fifa World Cup qualification, awaits the team.
Bafana Bafana are in a
World Cup qualification group with
Nigeria, Lesotho,
Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Benin.
They’ve already played Rwanda and
Benin. They opened their qualification campaign in Durban with a 2-1 win over Benin in November 2023. In the same month, they were shocked 2-0 by Rwanda in Butare.
Mixed start
The mixed start was less than ideal for the South Africans’ ambitions to reach their first World Cup since participating as hosts in 2010. Nevertheless, the team bounced back from the Rwandan setback via their displays at Afcon in Ivory Coast. Now they need to ride that momentum and seize control of their own destiny when they play Zimbabwe and Nigeria in early June.
The positive for Broos and his troops, other than the fact that they are coming off leading South Africa to their first Afcon medal since 2000, is the fact that group favourites Nigeria also started off their qualification quest at a snail’s pace.
The Super Eagles, who prevented South Africa from reaching the Afcon 2023 final when they vanquished them 4-2 via penalties in the last-four, played to two 1-1 draws against minnows Lesotho and Zimbabwe during their opening World Cup qualification fixtures.
As things stand, Rwanda tops the group with four points. Bafana Bafana are second, though, with three points. The other teams are all on two points after two games; Benin is the exception. They are on one point, having lost one and drawn one.
There are still eight games to be played by all the teams, though, to make a total of 10 matches. The road ahead is still lengthy before any team can book a spot to the 2026 showpiece. It will be co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the US.
In the qualification phase for the Qatar-hosted 2022 World Cup, Bafana were edged out by the eventual winners of the group they were in, Ghana.
This was after the two teams finished level on points (13 each), as well as on head-tohead and goal difference.
Ghana moved on to the third and final round of qualifying because they had scored seven goals to Bafana’s six from their six matches. The Black Stars eventually made it to Qatar after leaping over Nigeria on the away goals rule after a 1-1 aggregate score over two legs.
Simple qualification
Fortunately, after Fifa’s decision to expand the World Cup from 32 teams to 48, the additional knockout round that was necessary to determine the five African nations that would participate in the World Cup in the past, has been abolished.
This time it is straightforward. The nine teams that finish at the top of the nine qualification groups will be heading to the 2026 football showpiece.
So, the equation for Bafana Bafana is simple. Finish at the top of the group and qualify. Though it won’t be easy, World Cup qualification will be another step in restoring public interest and belief in the senior men’s national football side.
“We are a nation that loves football. We are a nation that has an abundance of talent. And we are a nation that should compete [regularly] at the highest level,” said Siphiwe Tshabalala, who scored South Africa’s first goal at the 2010 World Cup.
Because of the country’s isolation during apartheid, South Africa has just two World Cup appearances in addition to the 2010 extravaganza. They got two qualifications in 1998 and 2002.
Their Belgian coach Broos is determined to add to this tal
ly. It was another mandate of his when he was appointed by the South African Football Association in May 2021, alongside qualifying for the 2023 Afcon.
“We want to qualify for the World Cup. [Especially] after so many years [of missing out]. We came close the last time [for the 2022 edition in Qatar],” he said.
Amid dwindling stadium attendance for Bafana Bafana games over the years, one of the criticisms of the team has been that it plays boring football, which makes watching them a chore. This notion has been amplified under the tutelage of Broos. But the Belgian is not perturbed.
“I used to get frustrated. But
not any more. I just do what I want and [what] I believe is the right way,” Broos said.
The Bafana boss’s “right way” led to his team clinching bronze at Afcon. It also resulted in 12 games unbeaten before that World Cup qualification loss to Rwanda.
If they can repeat that trick for the World Cup qualifiers, they may just book their ticket for 2026. Even if it’s not through the pretty football that South Africans crave.
“When it comes to results … that’s what it’s all about.
“Sometimes you don’t need the best performance in order to get results,” said former Bafana Bafana striker Shaun Bartlett.
“In order to qualify for the World Cup, that’s what we need to do. We need to get points on the board. That’s important.”
Bafana are in action again next month. They will play two international friendlies against Andorra and Algeria on 21 March and 26 March, respectively. Broos has indicated that he will use the matches to further expand his pool of players.
The coach also reiterated that South Africa’s Dstv Premiership, which falls under the Premier Soccer League (PSL), needs to improve if Bafana Bafana are to have any hopes of being a force on the global stage.
“Again, I will repeat it as much as you want, the PSL level has to increase. I’m very sorry,” said Broos on the Soccer Africa show. “Not physically or whatever… Tactical discipline and organisation. I see it sometimes when I go to PSL games. Then I wonder how they are playing.”
He said: “There is no tactical discipline, players are running everywhere. You can’t do that at an international level. You need tactical discipline and a plan.”
He added: “For me, my opinion is that we don’t need to play like South Africans if we want to achieve something on an international level.”