Beautiful Bafana! Heroic South Africans can pack their bags for the World Cup

In the province of the rising sun, Bafana Bafana rose from the ashes in breathtaking style to secure qualification for the 2026 Fifa World Cup in one of those “I was there” moments that is going to live in memory for a long time.

The names of coach Hugo Broos, goal-scorers Thalente Mbatha, Oswin Appollis and Evidence Makgopa, the venue Mbombela Stadium and opponents Rwanda are going to be correct answers in a pub sports quiz.

South Africa came into the final round of qualifiers with their fate not in their own hands, but they did their job with a convincing 3-0 win over Rwanda in front of a bouncing Mbombela crowd.

They also hugely benefited from arch-rivals Nigeria thrashing Benin, Group C leaders going into their game, 4-0 in Uyo in a result that aligned perfectly to allow South Africa to finish on top of Group C with 18 points from 10 matches.

Talismanic Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen’s hat-trick (third, 37th and 51st minutes) and Olakunle Olusegun’s lone strike (46th) made for a scoreline that put Nigeria into the playoffs as one of the four best second-placed finishers.

Benin were third on goal difference (17 points).

Bafana qualified for the global showpiece at the venue that was the scene of their greatest embarrassment when they celebrated a draw with Sierra Leone in 2011, erroneously thinking they had qualified for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

The feat, which will elevate Broos to a stratospheric pedestal in South African football, ticked the major box as Bafana qualified for the World Cup for the first time other than as hosts (2010) since 2002 in Korea and Japan.

In reality, it should not have come to the final day nerves if Bafana were not docked three points by Fifa last month for fielding ineligible Teboho Mokoena in their win against Lesotho in March.

The bottom almost fell out of their campaign when that became a double blow with Bafana’s demoralising 0-0 draw against Zimbabwe in Durban on Friday. They bounced back and then some on Tuesday night.

Broos went into the game with a few tough decisions to make regarding absences of key players. He picked TS Galaxy defender Khulumani Ndamane to replace suspended Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who was red-carded in the game against Zimbabwe.

In the other enforced change, Broos brought in Orlando Pirates attacker Evidence Makgopa for injured Lyle Foster as the lone striker, and the lanky attacker was a constant irritation to Rwanda.

Other changes saw Thapelo Morena of Mamelodi Sundowns replace Mohau Nkota of Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq on the right wing and Mbatha was preferred to Sphephelo Sithole of Portuguese side club CD Tondela in the heart of the midfield. The Pirates man combined well with Teboho Mokoena, with playmaker Sipho Mbule ahead of them.

South Africa got off to a stunning start when Mbatha, on the end of a good move started by Appollis, gave them the lead with a thunderous piledriver that gave Rwanda goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari no chance in the sixth minute.

South Africa could have increased their lead but Appollis was denied by Ntwari from close range and Mokoena’s header from the resultant corner went over the crossbar.

Bafana did make it 2-0 in the 26th minute when livewire Appollis controlled the ball nicely inside the box before unleashing a delightful curling shot to beat Ntwari.

Bafana suffered a huge blow in the 44th when Morena wobbled off the field with an injury. He was replaced by Nkota, who continued where the Sundowns utility player left off by troubling the Rwandan defence.

South Africa could have wrapped up the match after the hour mark but Nkota was denied by Ntwari and Mudau’s shot on the rebound went wide as they benefited from good work from Mbule, who had a storming game.

Rwanda nearly pulled one back in the closing stages but a shot by one of their attackers hit the upright with Williams beaten. Even if the ball had sailed into the empty net, it was not going to be enough to stop Bafana from securing their spot at the World Cup.