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Hugo Broos and his 26-strong Bafana Bafana squad leave today for the 2026 World Cup, where they’ll hope to outfox co-host nation Mexico in the June 11 opening match of the global soccer showpiece.
This edition of the tournament, jointly staged with Canada and the US, will mark South Africa’s fourth appearance. Hopefully, they will escape the humiliation of being eliminated in the group stage yet again. Along with Mexico, Bafana are in a tight group with the Czech Republic and South Korea.
We salute Bafana for having qualified — and implore them to fly the flag with grit and resolve, not to do their country proud but to provide a fitting swansong for Broos, who is retiring after the tournament.
The country is hoping this was just a timely reminder of the evils of complacency
Bafana have blossomed during Broos’s five-year tenure, transforming from hopeless pushovers into a cohesive unit who roused the fans to a frenzy with a memorable march to the bronze medal at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. Then they qualified for the World Cup at the top of their group. While they performed below par at the next Afcon, in Morocco last year, the country is hoping this was just a timely reminder of the evils of complacency.
Broos’s rehabilitation of the team has relied heavily on locally based players, which is a testament to the strength and growth of the Premier Soccer League, which is perhaps the best league in Africa.
The continent will send a record 10 teams to the World Cup, which has been expanded to kick off with a total of 48 nations. Bafana are among those seen as having a good chance to advance to subsequent rounds of the competition.
Go for it, Bafana! We will carry you in our hearts and cheer each tackle and goal, every step of the way.
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