Broos, Zwane, Mokoena, Tau, Bafana BafanaGOAL
Michaelson Gumede

Shocking performance! Hugo Broos and Bafana Bafana proved how poor they can be in surprise Rwanda defeat

GOAL looks back at Bafana Bafana's poor showing against Rwanda in the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday afternoon.

However you may look at it, Bafana Bafana's performance against Rwanda was appalling.

And not because they were absolute trash, no, the Boys, as Bafana is translated from isiZulu to English, could not read what the match demanded in Rwanda.

From the onset, it was clear that Bafana's style of play was never going to cut it in a water-clad artificial pitch at the Huye Stadium.

Even the famous Tiki-Taka of Barcelona was going to fall short, simply because the pitch did not allow for anything else but route one or individual brilliance - something the home side did well to take maximum points.

Here, GOAL looks at what could have been done differently to avoid the 2-0 defeat in their second game of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.

  • Percy Tau, Bafana BafanaBackpage

    Lion of Judah tamed

    Percy Tau has played in a number of leagues in his career and has proven to be able to adapt to different situations having played in Belgium, England, Mzansi, and now in Egypt.

    This was a game where he needed to show his class and step up when his country needed him the most. Not to say that Tau was supposed to be the hero, but in this encounter, he was not at his usual best.

    A player of his stature who can dribble and take on defenders, Tau needed to bring that into his game against Rwanda as individual brilliance was a desperate need for Bafana.

    • Advertisement
  • Teboho Mokoena of South Africa.Backpagepix.

    PSL's King, where art thou?

    Perhaps it would be unfair to point fingers at some players, but sometimes, such responsibilities lie heavy on certain players and Teboho Mokoena is one of them.

    His Mamelodi Sundowns coach, Rhulani Mokwena usually says "Heavy is the head that carries the crown and to whom much is given, much is expected".

    At this trying time, those comments speak directly to Mokoena as he is the reigning PSL Footballer of the Season - and is a player who possesses a lot of quality.

    Mokoena is gifted with a long-range shot but in this game, where that kind of 'out of nowhere' element was needed, he failed to deliver.

  • Hugo Broos, Bafana Bafana vs Benin, November 2023Backpagepix

    A knife to a gun fight

    Broos knew that his team would be playing on a horrible pitch - forget about the rain, Bafana's technical team knew that the Huye Stadium does not house the best turf, which is why he told the nation that South Africa would fight, instead of playing good football.

    But what did they do? Mzansi tried to play combinations and attractive football - no, that was never going to work.

    Broos was supposed to think ahead and come up with a solution and a different approach. You cannot see beforehand that you are walking into a gunfight but still take a knife.

  • Siyanda Xulu & Aubrey Modiba, Bafana Bafana, November 2022Backpagepix

    Lacked leadership

    The coach can have his game plan mapped out but it was clear that this was not working, and this needed the senior players to change their strategy.

    The blame, in this instance, is apportioned to players like Themba Zwane, who has all of the experience of playing in bad conditions in Africa.

    Siyanda Xulu as vice-captain who has played abroad and has a number of seasons under his belt - these players should have taken charge of the situation and instructed the rest of the team to adopt a different style.

  • Bafana Bafana GFXGOAL

    All is not lost

    South African football fans have learnt to become prisoners of hope and are friends with the calculator when it comes to qualifications as it always proves to be a challenge to get things done the right way.

    There are still eight games to play in this group and it is open to a lot of possibilities, given that Nigeria, the highest-ranked team in the group, dropped four points in games against Lesotho and Zimbabwe. Had Bafana won against Rwanda, they would have taken full advantage of the Super Eagles' slip-up.

    However, South Africa will play Nigeria twice and maybe, just maybe, Broos' side will take maximum points in both games next year.

  • Sphephelo Sithole, Bafana BafanaBackpage

    Useful Links

Africa Cup of Nations
South Africa crest
South Africa
RSA
Angola crest
Angola
ANG