Bafana Bafana will look to keep their Fifa World Cup 2026 qualifiection campaign on track with victory over Benin in Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
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Bafana Bafana will visit Benin at the neutral venue of Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Ivory Coast on Tuesday (kick-off 6pm), hoping to extend their lead at the top of Group C. Bafana currently lead the table with 10 points in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers group stage, two ahead of second-placed Benin.
A win for Broos and his men in West Africa could take them a step closer to the global showpiece finals in North America – the US, Canada, and Mexico – next year.
The good thing for Bafana is that South African clubs, both domestically and internationally, have fond memories of Ivory Coast and Félix Houphouët-Boigny, while others will be eager to create their own.
Bafana achieved their first podium finish in the AFCON finals in more than a decade in the last edition in Ivory Coast under coach Hugo Broos. That victory not only engraved Broos' name in the history books but also restored national faith in the team. Since that continental showpiece, Bafana have been playing in sold-out venues on home soil, including their last World Cup qualifier against Lesotho.
The road to West Africa is usually bumpy for Bafana, as they have historically struggled to get results. However, they defied expectations by drawing 1-1 with Ivory Coast in a friendly late in 2023.
Bafana produced a spirited performance under hostile conditions, instilling hope in themselves and the nation at large that they could meet their targets at the AFCON finals. They went on to prove just that a few months later. For that reason, Broos and his men will believe they have left an enduring mark on the people of Ivory Coast.
The Women's CAF Champions League was established in 2020, and Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies asserted their dominance by winning the inaugural title.
After their first triumph in Morocco, Banyana ba Style took things up a notch, securing their record-extending second title in Ivory Coast. Not only were they the best team in the competition, but they arguably had the best support on foreign soil, with the hosts backing them throughout.
Orlando Pirates’ men's team became the first South African side to win the CAF Champions League in 1995. Since then, both Mamelodi Sundowns' men’s and women’s teams have followed suit.
Pirates’ historic victory took place in Ivory Coast, coincidentally at the same venue where Bafana will face Benin. Pirates' quartet in the Bafana squad – Nkosinathi Sibisi, Thalente Mbatha, Relebohile Mofokeng, and Sipho Chaine – will likely see this as a good omen that could work in Bafana’s favour.
South Africa’s U20 team, Amajita, have qualified for the Africa Youth Championship in Ivory Coast after winning the COSAFA Championship last month.
They will be confident of a strong showing in the tournament and will aim to finish in the top four to qualify for the U20 World Cup later this year, for the first time since 2019. After all, their senior counterparts, Bafana, have paved the way, proving that anything is possible.
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