Ex-South Africa captain gives Hugo Broos winning strategy ahead of Bafana Bafana's World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Rwanda

Former South Africa captain Neil Tovey has urged Bafana Bafana not to panic during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Rwanda.

Apart from warning them not to panic, Tovey has asked the players to focus on one game before the next.

“I think we don’t have to panic. Any blunder could cost us big. We have got two games on Friday and Tuesday. Those are absolutely critical not only for SAFA themselves but also for the players," Tovey told FARPost.

"The players just have to ask themselves, 'Where do you want to play next year in June?' They should all be saying, 'I want to be at that World Cup,'" he added.

The former Bafana star is also confident that the team is capable of qualifying for next year's global bonanza, given how they have played before.

“They are only two wins away, and they are playing in South Africa. But let’s not think about Tuesday’s game before we play Friday’s game," he stated.

"Let’s do what we have to do on Friday and then see what has to be done on Tuesday. Let’s make it out of everybody’s hands; just two wins and you qualify.

“They are doing pretty well. I watched the game against Nigeria; they were not intimidated by the big Nigerians. I thought they handled the situation very well; they looked pretty solid and mentally good.”

Going into the October qualifiers, Bafana are under immense pressure, given that they lost Group C's top position after a points deduction.

The COSAFA nation had established a three-point advantage ahead of Benin, but that was wiped out when their points were reduced as punishment for fielding Teboho Mokoena against Lesotho.

That means for second-placed Bafana to qualify, they must win their remaining games and hope Benin, who will play Rwanda and Nigeria, drop points. The West Africans, on 14 points, are only at the top courtesy of superior goal difference.

Bafana will play the Warriors from Zimbabwe in Durban on October 10 before a game against Rwanda's Amavubi in Mbombela on October 14.

Since both games are in South Africa, Broos' charges are expected to enjoy massive support from fans.