Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos believes that their Fifa World Cup 2026 qualifier against Benin today (Tuesday, kick-off 6pm) could be a defining moment in their campaign, with the potential to either make or break their hopes of qualification.
Bafana are currently on a high, sitting at the top of Group C in the qualifiers with 10 points after three wins, one draw, and one loss in five games. Their impressive run of form has seen supporters rally behind them at home, hopeful that they could return to the World Cup finals for the first time in 16 years.
A packed New Peter Mokaba Stadium was in full voice on Friday as Bafana comfortably dispatched neighbours Lesotho, taking a major confidence boost into their clash against Benin. Broos' men will face Benin at the neutral Stade Félix Houphouët Boigny, hoping to build on their momentum and take another step towards securing their place at the tournament in North America.
However, Broos was not entirely pleased with their preparations, as they were unable to train at the match venue yesterday due to a scheduled fixture between Ivory Coast and Gambia. While the Belgian tactician acknowledged FIFA's regulations, he also pointed out the contradictions in their own rules.
Despite this setback, Broos remains confident in his team’s ability to overcome challenges, just as they did earlier in the campaign when they had to navigate logistical difficulties to reach Nigeria. That resilience, he believes, will be key as they take on a strong Benin side in Abidjan.
“I think we are ready for the game,” Broos said, in his pre-match press conference in the Ivory Coast capital.
“We played a very good game against Lesotho, but we know that Benin are a very good team. They only managed a draw on Friday, so they are just two points behind us.
“We know that qualification for the World Cup in Africa is very difficult. You can never predict a win before the game – you have to fight for everything.
“Tuesday will be no different from the other games. We’ll be playing against a very good team, and we are fully aware of that.”
Broos knows that there is no turning back now. Bafana have progressed so far that they are not only expected to be strong contenders in next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco but also to qualify for the global showpiece.
It has been 16 years since South Africa last qualified for a World Cup, with their most recent appearance in 2010 coming as tournament hosts. Prior to that, their last qualification was in 2002. Now, Broos, who has attended the tournament as a player, is eager to lead his team to his first World Cup as a coach.
With the tournament set to be expanded in 2026, Bafana’s chances of qualifying are looking promising. That is why Broos believes that a victory over Benin this evening would be a massive step towards making their World Cup dream a reality.
“On the other hand, we are confident in ourselves. If you look at South Africa’s progression over the past year, it has been enormous,” the 72-year-old coach added.
“We believe we can get a good result. We’ll go into the game aiming for a win. This could be a key day for us.
“Imagine if we win tomorrow – Benin will remain on eight points, and Nigeria are on six. We’ll have to see what happens in the other games. This could be a crucial match for us. We will do everything we can to win, but we also know it will be a tough challenge.”
