Although Bafana saw their points reduced for fielding the Masandawana star, they fought hard in the remaining qualifiers to seal their place in the 2026 finals. The South African Sports Minister has acknowledged there was a blunder but has defended the team manager, saying he has taken responsibility. McKenzie has also revealed the amount of bonuses Bafana players will get for the AFCON and World Cup finals.
Given the profile he has created as a dependable Sea Robber, Relebohile Mofokeng's absence has been conspicuously noted, with some raising questions. He is yet to step on the pitch since he was injured during a Premier Soccer League match against Siwelele FC on October 4.
The ongoing exclusion of 'Nyoso' from the South African national team has divided opinion. Many are arguing that the talented winger deserves a place in the squad after his performances for Wydad Casablanca at the FIFA Club World Cup, Caf Confederation Cup and the Botola Pro have earned the praise of fans, coaches and teammates.
The senior national team will be competing with the best in Africa and in the world at large over the next year. In late December, South Africa will be chasing the continental crown in Morocco before facing the best in the prestigious global competition to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Bafana Bafana and Burnley striker Lyle Foster was something of a late bloomer, but the 25-year-old Soweto-born striker is reaching his peak at just the right time with his club five points above the relegation zone and the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 less than two months away.
The Premier League served up a Southern African showdown as Bafana Bafana’s Foster and Zimbabwe’s Munetsi both found the net in the match between Wolves and Burnley. Munetsi struck first for the home side, but it was Foster who sealed the deal with a late winner at Molineux Stadium on Sunday, 26 October.
A former Mzansi defender has analysed Broos' squad and identified what he feels is a problem with it. As the former Cameroon tactician is expected to leave after the World Cup finals, his successor has been urged not to follow Broos' script.
Mzansi faced their COSAFA rivals at a critical juncture of their qualification journey, and they were deeply frustrated. But in the end, despite what looked like insurmountable challenges, SA finally qualified for next year's finals.
South Africa have only one AFCON title lifted in 1996 on home soil, but one of the players that delivered that trophy believes another could be close. The retired star has cited various reasons as to why he tips Mzansi to become champions again.
In the final qualifier against Rwanda, Hugo Broos selected a starting XI made up of players from the local league, and they got the results needed. Although the locally based stars did the job, the former Amakhosi tactician suggests how the team can become even stronger.
The Zimbabwean international, who has spent over seven years in European football, first with French side Stade de Reims before joining Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this year, has urged young African players to be vigilant. He warned of scammers posing as football agents, who exploit dreams of playing abroad to steal money and leave victims stranded.
South Africa will be part of the global competition once again for the first time since 2010, when they hosted it. However, this achievement came against some odds, as Mzansi were faced with what appeared like an insurmountable challenge, which, in the end, they overcame.
Although he did not earn a direct call-up to Bafana, after filling in for the injured Maswanganyi, Mbule went on and featured in the crucial qualifiers that South Africa needed to win. His determination to grab his 'second chance' has been lauded by his coach, who has challenged him to keep working hard ahead of future international assignments.
The Warriors frustrated Bafana as the game ended in a goalless draw in a match that the latter needed nothing but three points. This is a game that the Super Eagles also keenly followed because they also wanted their rivals to slip in order to gain ground in the qualification race.
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 Warriors were determined to stop Hugo Broos' men from getting maximum points in the recent meeting. The COSAFA rivals met in Durban, but it was the visitors who came with hopes of getting maximum points to keep alive their hope of competing with the best in the world. The hosts had already been eliminated and stood no chance of making it to the summit.
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.
The Buccaneers centre-back was sent off following a heated moment with the Warriors winger Tawanda Maswanhise as South Africa desperately pushed for an equaliser against their COSAFA rivals. It was an emotional end to the match which saw Hugo Broos' men failing to collect maximum points in their own backyard.
After being frustrated by the Warriors, Bafana's hopes now largely depend on the results from Nigeria and Benin. The Super Eagles will host their West African counterparts in a match that carries a lot of stakes in determining the winner of the group.
After their points were deducted by FIFA, South Africa needed to win against the Warriors in order to boost their chances to qualify for the global showpiece. However, they were unable to get the crucial points against their group opponents, who were disadvantaged after Knowledge Musona was sent off.
Although he was heavily linked with Amakhosi, the former Mamelodi Sundowns star ended up signing for Buccaneers. The Bafana midfielder has gone on to stamp authority in Bucs' first team despite the competition for starting berths in the team.
Despite his tender age, the youngster has been a rock for both the Buccaneers and the country, delivering consistently regardless of the opponent he is playing against. His physique and pace have been his main strengths, attributes that have made critics allege the dependable Bucs assistant skipper might not be twenty as indicated by the Sea Robbers.
South Africa have a daunting task in their pursuit for the 2026 World Cup ticket when they face their neigbours in the COSAFA derby. While the Warriors have no chance to dine with the big boys, their visitors are aware that anything apart from three points might cost them. It explains why the fans are anxious ahead of the Friday outing at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
The unfortunate deduction of three points by FIFA for fielding Teboho Mokoena when he was suspended dropped South Africa to second in Group C on goal difference. But qualification is still in reach if the team wins against Zimbabwe and Rwanda, and can score a few goals while doing it.
Zimbabwe
