We are very close to the World Cup, says Bafana coach Broos after beating Benin

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos acknowledged on Tuesday night, after beating Benin, that building a competitive team has taken time, but the hard work is now paying off.

Bafana took a huge step towards qualifying for the Fifa World Cup in 2026, as they currently top Group C in the qualifiers with 13 points after six games. Their most recent victory came away to the West African nation, where they secured a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Lyle Foster and Jayden Adams.

It was a crucial victory, especially after earlier reports suggested that Bafana could be docked three points for fielding Teboho Mokoena in their 2-0 win over Lesotho on Friday. Mokoena should not have played that match, as he had already accumulated two yellow cards, which, according to Fifa regulations, warranted a one-match suspension.

Broos remained tight-lipped on the issue in his post-match comments. The squad will remain uncertain until Fifa decides on the matter, following complaints from Nigeria and Lesotho. However, after securing victory at a neutral venue in Ivory Coast – where Bathusi Aubaas stepped in for Mokoena with aplomb – even a points deduction will not take away Bafana's position at the top of their group, thanks to results elsewhere.

Broos will also remain confident that they have the depth to compete at the highest level, regardless of the outcome.

"Yes, we needed some time to build this group," Broos said. "In the beginning, when I arrived in South Africa, it was not easy in the first year. There were a lot of challenges."

"But we kept going, searching for the right players in the right positions. We found them, and I think we now have a very good team."

"We can now make changes without the overall team performance dropping. That shows we are strong. We have confidence and are not afraid of any team."

Bafana may be a strong side, but their place in the World Cup is not secured yet. They still need to perform in their remaining four games – against Lesotho, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Rwanda – to qualify for the finals in North America.

However, Broos – like many South Africans who have regained faith in the team – believes they are on the right track to returning to the biggest stage for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010.

"The only thing we have to do now is keep working hard and not assume that everything is already done," Broos said. "We are in a good position, and I believe that with the squad we have, as long as we don't make foolish mistakes, we are very close to qualifying for the World Cup."