Bafana Bafana Qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Bafana Bafana made history this year by qualifying for the 2026 FIFA Football World Cup. In addition to being the first country in Africa to qualify as hosts of the 2010 competition, South Africa has qualified for the FIFA World Cup three times: in 1998, 2002, and now 2026.
North America will host the upcoming Football World Cup, with the US, Canada, and also Mexico all serving as host nations. Sixteen cities across the three countries will stage the tournament. The World Cup kicks off on 11 June and runs for just over a month, with the final taking place on 19 July. This is the first time that the World Cup will see 48 teams compete in the event which is up 16 from the old 32 team format. Nine spots were available to Africa. With Algeria, Cape Verde, Tunisia, Senegal, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Egypt as well as South Africa making it through to the tournament. Furthermore, this will be the first time that Cape Verde will be competing in a Football World Cup. So let us have a closer look at the Bafana World Cup Qualification journey.
Bafana Bafana’s Road to the 2026 World Cup
The current form of Bafana Bafana has been long in the making with Coach Hugo Broos heading up the position. Building the team since 2021, when he signed a five year contract for the position. The team has thus far managed to finish third in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2023 and to qualify for Bafana World Cup Qualification under his guidance. Hugo has recently announced that he will be stepping down as head coach after next year’s football world cup.
2023 Africa Cup of Nations
The first hurdle that the team faced was to qualify for the 2023 AFCON. This might seem like a small feat but Bafana Bafana did not qualify for the 2021 AFCON. Hugo and co was able to build up a solid team and qualify for the 2023 AFCON through preparation and team building. Group E consisted of Bafana, Tunisia, Mali and Namibia. They finished second in the Group stage of the tournament securing them a spot in the quarter finals against Cape Verde. The boys won the quarter final match sending them into the semis against Nigeria, where the Super Eagles beat Bafana Bafana through penalties after the match ended in a draw. Bafana played for the third spot against DR Congo where they won in penalties, earning them a third spot in the 2023 AFCON. What can be achieved in AFCON 2025?
2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
The next task that the team set out to complete was South Africa World Cup qualification for the 2026 tournament. Bafana World Cup Qualification was no easy feat, as Bafana Bafana fixtures were against teams like Nigeria, Benin, and Rwanda. The road to qualify consisted of 10 matches over the year. Bafana opened their bid with a win over Benin. They hit a snag in their second match against Rwanda where they lost 2-0.
Their third match was against Nigeria where they drew the match 1-1. From there it seemed like the team had found their rhythm and was leading the group in points. Lesotho stunned the football world when they beat Bafana 3-0 in the fifth match of the qualifiers. This was not the last time that Lesotho would feature in their bid to qualify.
Fast forward a few games to the second match against Lesotho where South Africa managed to win the match 3-0. A technical error of fielding a suspended player meant the points were awarded to Lesotho. SA football news was up in arms and the hopes of Mzansi were placed in a precarious position. Bafana needed to win their last match against Rwanda and hope that Nigeria beats Benin in their final World Cup Qualifier. The soccer gods smiled on Bafana that evening as they beat Rwanda and Nigeria beat Benin, securing Bafana World Cup Qualification once and for all. This placed Bafana at the top of the group and sends them into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
South Africa’s World Cup 2026 fixtures:
- 11 June: Mexico v South Africa – Mexico City Stadium
- 18 June: Euro Playoffs Winner (Czechia/Denmark/North Macedonia/Republic of Ireland) v South Africa – Atlanta Stadium
- 24 June: South Africa v Korea Republic – Estadio Monterrey
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The top bookmakers including Betway, Hollywoodbets, and Mzansibet. To just name a few, all offer odds on World Cup betting in South Africa. The upcoming AFCON starts in December. Bafana needs to flex and show that they are the team from Africa to take on the world in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Here with we also recommend the following bookies which we have reviewed extensively:
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