South Africa has booked their place at the FIFA World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010, following a 3-0 victory over Rwanda and Nigeria’s 4-0 win.
This marks Bafana Bafana’s fourth World Cup appearance, having previously featured in 1998, 2002, and 2010.
The hosts got off to a dream start just five minutes in when Thalente Mbatha unleashed a long-range effort into the top corner, which goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari failed to handle properly.
Bafana continued to dominate proceedings and doubled their advantage midway through the first half when Oswin Appollis found the back of the net to the delight of the home supporters.
Hugo Broos’ side controlled possession and could have sealed the result before halftime but were wasteful with their final passes.
Their dominance was finally rewarded with 20 minutes to go when Appollis delivered a precise corner that Evidence Makgopa headed home from close range to make it three.
With that goal, it was only a matter of time before celebrations began, especially after confirmation that Nigeria had comfortably beaten Benin in Uyo.
When the final whistle blew, players and staff erupted in joy as South Africa topped their qualifying group by a single point, despite losing three points earlier in the campaign for fielding an ineligible player against Lesotho.
Bafana Bafana believed- Hugo Broos
Bafana Bafana will now turn their attention to preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19. The team’s head coach, Hugo Broos, said his team believed in themselves.
“It feels wonderful, we all knew that we could do it, we believed in ourselves and I think you saw it from the beginning of the game that we wanted to win the game,” Broos told SABC Sport after the match.
“The only thing was what happened in Nigeria so Nigeria did what they had to do and we did what we had to do so we’re going to the World Cup fantastic.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria sealed a playoff spot after their emphatic win over Benin in Uyo, with Victor Osimhen netting a hat-trick and Frank Onyeka completing the rout. The Super Eagles will now compete in the CAF playoff alongside DR Congo, Cameroon, and Gabon, with the winner advancing to represent Africa in the FIFA intercontinental playoffs.
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