#BafanaPride: Mzansi Celebrates Bafana Bafana’s World Cup Qualification
With their emphatic three-nil victory against their East African counterparts Rwanda in Mbombela, Bafana Bafana have secured their spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With five victories, and eighteen points, South Africa topped the standings of Group C, finishing ahead of fierce rivals Nigeria by one point and achieving automatic qualification to the finals of the biggest stage in football set to be hosted by the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico.
Bafana came into their final match in a place of uncertainty after losing their pole position when three point got docked and given to Lesotho after FIFA found that the boys in gold and green had fielded an ineligible player (Teboho Mokoena). With the loss of the points, Bafana needed to secure the three points and hope for Nigeria to claim a victory against Benin for automatic qualification.
Both results went Bafana’s way, with Mbatha, Appollis, and Makgopa finding their way into the scoresheet. Elsewhere in West Africa, the Super Eagles handed Benin a four-goal thrashing without letting them put one past their net, thus securing a spot for the second round and blocking Benin from progressing, which would’ve been the case had they won the match.
Bafana’s qualification to next year’s World Cup is the fourth in the national team’s history, and the first since 2010, by virtue of qualifying as hosts. It’s the first time in over twenty years that the South African national team made it over the line through the pipeline of intracontinental qualifiers. Hugo Broos’s charges also became the only African team to qualify for the World Cup with a line-up of players from local clubs, with last night’s eleven comprising solely Orlando Pirates FC and Mamelodi Sundowns players, the only two Mzansi teams to ever lift the CAF Champions League.
The result comes off the back of Bafana’s stellar showing in the previous installment of the Africa Cup of Nations, where the team came back home with bronze medals and saw goalkeeper Ronwen Williams honored with Balon d’Or recognition for his heroics in the tournament.
South Africans took to the socials under the hashtags of #BafanaPride and #BafanaKaofela to express their happiness and jubilation concerning Bafana’s direct qualification.
Superstar model and businesswoman Bonang Matheba was one of the first to congratulate the team, saying, “Darling, we’re going to America!! Well done, boys @BafanaBafana.”
@jefszn posted about Bafana achieving qualification with a fully local lineup, saying, “Man, to do it with a 100% PSL staring XI lineup is so mad. I don’t think people understand. We only lost 1 game on the pitch and it was an artificial one at that. Wow Bafana.”
@nkosii_ndumiso said, “We’re touching the World Cup football for the first time since 2010. #BafanaPride.”