HUGE RISK! Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos hints at dropping key players for crucial 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Benin after convincing Lesotho win - 'We will try to give some players a little bit of rest'

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has hinted that he may rest some players for the 2026 World Cup qualifier against Benin on Tuesday.

After the 2-0 win over Lesotho on Thursday, the tactician pointed out that some players need rest, and he particularly mentioned Teboho Mokoena.

Mokoena was substituted in the 82nd minute as Thalente Mbatha came on, and now Broos has hinted some players will rest during the next qualifier.

Meanwhile, Broos acknowledged how tough Lesotho were but said the most important thing for them was the win and the points.

Relebohile Mofokeng and Jayden Adams scored the goals for Bafana.

“Certain moments when the result is there, you need to take account," Broos told the press after the match.

"Tuesday again we have a difficult game; we will try to give some players a little bit of rest, like Teboho; he has already played all the games of Sundowns this season.

“So, it’s a bit real; that’s why we haven’t changed him or the other players. So, we will give him a little bit of rest and be ready for next Tuesday," he explained.

"It was very important today that we had the three points. We knew that it would be a tough game. We played against a team that didn’t want to lose.

“We had four good chances in the first half, but we didn’t score, so we corrected some things, and we started very well in the second half; immediately there was pressure," he added.

“Once you score the first goal, you’ve done the most difficult [part]. It was a little bit late in the game, but the most important thing was that we had a victory today and three points," the former Cameroon coach concluded.

After the win, Bafana are now at the top of Group C with 10 points, and their closest rivals are Benin with 8 points.

Rwanda, who fell to Nigeria on their own turf, are third with seven points, whereas the Super Eagles are fourth with six. The Super Eagles registered their first win in the qualifiers and are expected to mount a campaign in the remaining qualifiers.

Lesotho are fifth with five points, whereas Zimbabwe are at the bottom with just three points.

After the Lesotho win, Bafana will face Benin in the next game, hoping for another victory that will help them solidify their position at the top.

Eyes are now on Broos to see which players he will drop against Benin.