'I don't care!' Pitso Mosimane & Gayton McKenzie confident Bafana Bafana can defy the odds in 2026 FIFA World Cup and advance to next round

South Africa are among the nine nations from the continent who managed to get an automatic ticket for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In a draw conducted on Friday night, Bafana Bafana were put in Group A alongside Mexico, Korea Republic and the European Play Off Path D winner between Denmark, North Macedonia, Czech Republic, and Ireland. 

The first match for South Africa will be on June 11 at Estadio Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, where they will come face with their hosts, Mexico. The venue will go down in history as the first one to host three World Cup editions.  

On June 18, Hugo Broos' men will then make a trip to Atlanta Stadium, where they will rub shoulders with either the Czech Republic, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, or North Macedonia.

The final Group A game will be at the Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, on June 24 against the Korea Republic.  

"When you are in pot 3, you know that you will meet two other teams with a higher ranking, but these kinds of teams always cause trouble for the others in the group stage," the 61-year-old said during the launch of the Pitso Mosimane Youth Football and HiSense partnership. 

His sentiments were seconded by the Sports Minister, Gayton McKenzie, who is convinced the country has enough quality to deliver.

"I don't care who is put in front of us, and I don't care if they call our group the group of death or the easy group, because Bafana Bafana are champions," McKenzei said.

"This team has undergone immense hatred. When points were deducted from us, Nigeria were celebrating, but this team just kept on. So for us to be in the World Cup, it shows you the type of champions we are."

Ghana are seemingly the team that will work harder to get out of Group L, which is made up of England, Croatia, and Panama as well.

Other interesting matches will be between Morocco and Brazil, Germany against the Ivory Coast, Tunisia against the Netherlands, and Belgium versus Egypt.

France will also be aiming at avenging the 2002 defeat against Senegal in the quarter-final phase as Algeria and Argentina rub shoulders. 

Group A: Mexico – South Africa – Korea Republic – (Denmark/North Macedonia/Czech/Ireland)

Group B: Canada – (Italy/Northern Ireland/Wales/Bosnia) – Qatar – Switzerland

Group C: Brazil – Morocco – Haiti – Scotland 

Group D: USA – Paraguay – Australia – (Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo)

Group E: Germany – Curacao – Ivory Coast – Ecuador

Group F: Netherlands – Japan – (Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania) – Tunisia

Group G: Belgium – Egypt – Iran – New Zealand

Group H: Spain – Cape Verde – Saudi Arabia – Uruguay

Group I: France – Senegal – (Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname) – Norway

Group J: Argentina – Algeria – Austria – Jordan

Group K: Portugal – (Congo DR/Jamaica/New Caledonia) – Uzbekistan – Colombia

Group L: England – Croatia – Ghana – Panama

With 48 teams set to compete for a place in the next phase, it will be embarrassing for South Africa to be among the nations that will be eliminated in the group stage.   

Coach Hugo Broos has already confirmed this will be his last assignment before he retires, so he will be aiming to reach at least the knockout phase or even the quarter-final, which would be historic.