After a goalless draw with Zimbabwe last Friday night, South Africa needed a win over Amavubi in Mbombela and hoped Nigeria would beat Benin in Uyo. Fate smiled on Hugo Broos’ side. The Belgian coach led Bafana Bafana to the global showpiece, marking their first successful World Cup qualifying campaign in 24 years.
The Amakhosi goalkeeper, who created a storm when he refused to be substituted recently, has been backed and described in glowing terms. The Soweto giants have been asked to make a choice over the Rwandan because he either must play or leave, according to his coach.
As Bafana prepare to take on Rwanda's Amavubi, a new player has been called up by Hugo Broos. This is a crucial game for Mzansi, but they will face their rivals without key stars, and this complicates their situation even more.
Cape Verde became the second smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup after their 3-0 win over Eswatini guaranteed their spot at the tournament in North America in 2026. Watch the clip above as the full-time whistle sparked scenes of euphoria, both on the pitch and in the stands, with the players heralded as heroes after clinching a historic first qualification.
South Africa have been struggling for a prolific scorer who can take them to the global football competition and this problem comes at the most delicate moment. Already, strikers called up by coach Hugo Broos were struggling to score goals at their respective clubs and he now loses some of these men, leaving him to make desperate call-ups.
The Simba SC midfielder is fully behind South Africa as they seek the victory that could propel the national team to the World Cup finals for the first time since the country hosted the 2010 version of the quadrennial event.
South Africa were cruising. Now they’re clinging. A belated points deduction and a goalless draw with Zimbabwe have left Bafana Bafana needing a win over Rwanda in Mbombela and a result from Nigeria against Benin to keep their World Cup dream alive. It’s the final Group C game and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
South Africa enter a very important phase of their quest to qualify for the World Cup with another do-or-die match against Amavubi. On Friday, Hugo Broos' men were held to a goalless draw by the Warriors of Zimbabwe. On Tuesday, they play the Eastern African nation, knowing they can't afford another slip-up in their quest to compete with the best in the world.
Cape Verde have officially qualified for the 2026 World Cup, becoming the second-smallest nation ever to punch their ticket into the iconic quadrennial tournament. The African nation, which has a population of just 524,000, beat Eswatini 3-0 on Monday to seal their progression to the finals next summer, which will be held across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The Super Eagles are in a tight spot in their quest to play in the tournament to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico in 2026. However, their win over the Cheetahs on Tuesday might be what Mzansi need to get their ticket; but of course, they need victory against the Eastern African nation in another Group C fixture scheduled for the same day.
Mzansi's hope of playing in the prestigious global competition hangs in the balance after their recent goalless draw against the Warriors. The Hugo Broos-led team plays the Eastern African nation aware that they can't drop any more points if they are to sustain their chances of representing the continent in the tournament to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
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.
The Sea Robbers defender has been described as a shy figure and one who barely speaks for himself. However, his story on the pitch is different; he is an imposing figure who has become a dominant player for both the club and Bafana Bafana.
A few weeks ago, Bafana were strong favourites to top Group C and book their spot in the global showpiece set to take place in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. How things have changed. From a position of strength, Hugo Broos’ charges now find themselves in a precarious situation where they need favours from others.
The youngster joined the South American heavyweights as part of a collaborative partnership with his local club. He impressed during trials that lasted for two months before he was co-opted in a move that has been welcomed by those who developed him.
Five Premier League players - including Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey - were among those to endure flight chaos after jetting out of Nigeria's latest 2026 World Cup qualifier. There was midair mayhem during that journey as a cracked windscreen forced the plane that the Super Eagles were travelling on to make an emergency landing. Said trip was eventually completed some 12 hours later than initially planned.
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.
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.
Although third in Group C, the Super Eagles still have a chance of topping the table and earn themselves an automatic ticket to the global football competition. But it is not in their hands as they also rely on other teams, although their captain says their eyes are not fixed on their rivals who could decide their fate.
The West Africans are still in the race for the prestigious global competition after collecting a vital win in their recent Group C outing. However, they will still have to rely on Rwanda to do them a favour by beating Hugo Broos in the pool for them to take the top spot. Only group winners are guaranteed a position in the tournament to be played next year.
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.
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