South Africa made qualifying for the global football fiesta a mammoth task after dropping two points against a team already out of contention in this campaign. That leaves Hugo Broos' side depending on their rivals to help them secure an automatic ticket to USA/Canada/Mexico.

As Bafana Bafana's 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification hopes are on the brink of collapse, we look at key moments that led to the near-certain failure to qualify despite a campaign that seemed destined to end with the team competing in North America next year.

The Bucs star was automatically ruled out for the game against Amavubi after receiving his marching orders late against Zimbabwe. His booking was a double setback for Bafana, who were desperate to win and collect crucial qualifying points.

South Africa's hopes of returning to the global football competition is slowly fading after failing to secure maximum points against the Warriors. They fired blanks against their northern neighbours who restricted them to a goalless evening in Durban. Their Belgian coach is finding it difficult to stomach what transpired on Friday.

The Orlando Pirates assistant captain put a decent shift on Friday as South Africa played their COSAFA rivals hoping to get maximum points in their bid to get a ticket to represent the continent in the prestigious global competition. However, he was booked twice late in the game as his team struggled to break down the determined Warriors in Durban.