Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos will have been pleased with victory over Lesotho, but will know that its seuccess can only be measure by the result against Benin on Tuesday in their Fifa World Cup 2026 qualifier.
Image: Backpagepix
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos admits their Fifa World Cup 2026 qualifying fate is in their hands, and that's why they must do their part, as an arch-rival will also aid their cause. Bafana are sitting comfortably at the top of Group C in the group stage qualifiers with 10 points after five games, thanks to three wins, one draw, and one loss.
Broos' men secured a victory in their last game, beating neighbours Lesotho 2-0 at a sold-out Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday, thanks to goals from Relebohile Mofokeng and Jayden Adams. With all the teams in the group having played five games, and Bafana holding a two-point lead, they are on course to finish at the top and qualify for the finals in North America.
However, Bafana can't afford to falter if they want to maintain their lead. That’s why Broos insists they must be at their best against group runners-up Benin at a neutral venue in Ivory Coast on Tuesday (6pm kick-off). Broos, though, is also drawing confidence from the fact that their nemesis, Nigeria, will likely do them a huge favour by defeating their opponents in an effort to catch up at the top.
"I said it a few days ago — if there’s a team that can help us a lot in the group, it’s Nigeria. They beat Rwanda today (Friday)," Broos said after the match in Polokwane.
"They can’t afford to lose points, so against every team, they’ll do everything to win. At the moment, we are four points ahead of Nigeria. It’s up to us to do what we have to do.
"When we do what we have to do, Nigeria will help us — you’ll see. The situation is good at the moment, so let’s keep it that way. We mustn’t do anything stupid in Ivory Coast."
Broos is right — Bafana can't afford to stumble at Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, which will serve as Benin's home venue due to the unavailability of a Fifa-approved stadium in their country. However, for the South Africans to secure victory, they must be at their best, especially without the support of their passionate home crowd, which often fuels their performances.
Percy Tau is one of the key players expected to lead the battle, particularly after Broos expressed his satisfaction with Tau’s return to the national team following a difficult period.
"I said before that we couldn’t be happy with Percy’s performances in previous games—that was not the level of Percy," Broos reflected. "But today (Friday), you could see he played a fantastic game and worked a lot. That’s because he’s playing regularly again.
"When you don’t play games, you don’t have the rhythm, and you can’t perform at your best. I am sure that, with time, we will see Percy back at his highest level because he is playing in Qatar.
"It can always be better, and we can expect more, but I am very happy with his performance today. He worked a lot for the team, and that’s something we have to take into account."
Broos was a happy man on Friday night. His team once again demonstrated camaraderie and unity, supporting one another throughout the match. A great display of togetherness was evident when Mofokeng ensured that Ndamulelo Maphangule got to touch the ball after making his debut in front of his home crowd late in the game.
The Bafana bench also joined in on the celebrations after the final whistle, with players such as Ricardo Goss, Grant Kekana, and Teboho Mokoena lifting and embracing Maphangule in delight.
"I am proud of them (Mofokeng and Adams), for sure, but I have already said that I am so proud of the team I have here," Broos said. "It’s truly a pleasure for me to be their coach. This is a fantastic group — they are very talented players with a great mentality.
"You see the new guys, like Ndamulelo and Vuyo (Letlapa), and it feels like they have always been with us. That’s because of the group and the experienced players who have been here."