It may be materialising into a ridiculously tricky group and, yes, there are seven matches remaining, but the start to the 2026 World Cup qualifying round-robin stage has left Bafana Bafana with a real opportunity for a rare qualification to the global showpiece.
That is something that has been said before. Notably in coach Hugo Broos’ first assignment — a campaign in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. And that time a team he still barely knew, but to which he had added young blood and impressively-scouted talents, ran Ghana within goals scored and a dodgy penalty of progressing to the final round of qualifying.
To be honest, it would have been a tough ask for Bafana to get past Nigeria in that round — Ghana did not.
But there are factors that make this qualifying campaign even more promising.
Broos is now one of the longest-serving Bafana coaches whose players have forged a bond with the sometimes grouchy, often also personable 72-year-old Belgian whose irritability seems to stem more from a deep caring for the job and genuine affection for his players and the country they are from than cantankerousness. It was a relationship that saw Bafana fight for every result winning bronze at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Ivory Coast.
South Africa’s growing confidence as results have come — they have lost twice in senior matches in two years — was displayed again with their 1-1 draw in Uyo on Friday night. It was an excellent result against a Nigeria forewarned that Bafana are an improving side by being pushed hard to the same scoreline before prevailing on penalties in February’s Afcon semifinal.
Bafana would probably have taken a start of a win at home against Benin, loss away to Rwanda and draw away to Nigeria, with clear favourites the Super Eagles floundering after three straight draws, at the start of the 2026 qualifiers.
Lesotho’s monumentally shock display to lead the table (with five points, while Rwanda, Benin and Bafana have four, Nigeria three and Zimbabwe two) means South Africa have every reason to be cautious in a hugely unpredictable Group C.
But with Nigeria in trouble — two of their three draws came at home, the other against Lesotho — Bafana have a chance to capitalise in their remaining seven fixtures, beginning against dangerous Zimbabwe at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday (6pm).
Broos, stressing Lesotho’s remarkable showing displays the toughness of all the teams in the group, could still afford to look unusually pleased and relaxed after the draw in Uyo.
“Normally when you see the draw of the group then you know Nigeria will be your biggest opponent to win it,” he said. “So when you come here you hope to have a minimum of one point. That was very important for us today — not to lose this game.
“I also said before the game that the pressure was on Nigeria. They have played three draws now, and two of those in home games.
“And you know that in qualifiers that’s not really good — you need to win your home games first and then see if you can take some points, and perhaps a victory outside. So we are very happy with the point.”
Broos knows there is a long way to go, and the promise held for Bafana could well be cancelled out as soon as on Tuesday.
“The group is not one of all top countries, but it’s a very tricky group. When you see now after three games, and look at the results, it’s unbelievable.
We play on Tuesday against Zimbabwe; we need the three points. I will not be happy if we don’t win against Zimbabwe. But it’s easy to say it here behind these microphones — I already know Tuesday will be a tough game again.
— Hugo Broos
“And this is something that for me was the biggest change in Afcon — the so-called little countries have progressed a lot. You also saw the results in Afcon and the teams that reached the second and third round who you’d never normally expect [to do that]. In this group this is the problem for all the teams — every team can win against any other team.
“You see Lesotho are top of the group now,” Broos said with a chuckle. “Imagine three or four years ago saying Lesotho would be top of a group like this, Nigeria would be [fifth] — everybody would laugh.
“This is what is happening now in African football. I was with Cameroon at Afcon in 2017 and [this year] with South Africa — this is the big difference: all those countries progressed a lot.
“You see in those ‘little’ countries there are not only local players, there are some who play abroad, so they are becoming stronger. So if you talk about the gap, I don’t think there will really be a gap until the last day [of Group C]. And every team will have to play for a victory, but it will not be easy.
“We play on Tuesday against Zimbabwe; we need the three points. I will not be happy if we don’t win against Zimbabwe. But it’s easy to say it here behind these microphones — I already know Tuesday will be a tough game again.”
After Zimbabwe, Bafana’s games are against Lesotho (home), Benin (away), Lesotho (away), Nigeria (home), Zimbabwe (away) and finally Rwanda (home).
The top team in nine African groups qualifies automatically for the first 48-team World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the US. The four best runners-up go into a playoff to decide one side for an intercontinental playoff.
