Now that the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) 2025 qualification has been secured, Bafana Bafana's focus has shifted to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.
The national team coach Hugo Broos has emerged with flying colours as Bafana has captured the imagination of fans around the country despite a host of challenges on various fronts. The South African Football Association (SAFA) has joined forces with Broos to eliminate these challenges so Bafana can play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico.
Bafana will be vying for one of nine slots reserved for CAF teams, who emerge as group winners. South Africa is in the Group C qualifying group along with Nigeria, Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho. After four games, South Africa is well on course with seven points after four matches. Next year Bafana Bafana will play the remaining six games.
To ease Bafana's passage, SAFA has taken a strategic decision to arrange charter flights for all away games. SAFA realised that connecting flights and waiting at the airports impacted significantly on the team's performance. Broos had agreed that this arrangement would be an important contribution to the team's success.
Broos and his charges had a taste of this privilege after SAFA chartered a flight directly from Uganda to Cape Town last week.
The next step for Broos will be to find opponents for friendlies ahead of next year's World Cup qualifiers.
“We will start looking for opponents and see who’s free,” said Broos. ”We'll see who wants to come to South Africa, or do we have to go to them?
“You can be sure that we will try to find the best opponent we can get. This is something I said before.
“We don't have to play against an African team. If European countries are looking for friendly games, we will see what the best for us is. With all due respect, I don't want to play against Andorra or Liechtenstein.”
Broos said the national squad has become stronger and younger since he arrived here in May 2021 to replace Molefi Ntseki.
“This squad is younger these days. When I came here, I had only players with ages around 28, 29, and over 30 years. It was something I didn’t understand,” said Broos. “Why in a country like South Africa are there no talented young players?
“When I talked about it, they said we have it, but they need experience.
“I said if they don't play, how can they have experience? You must have the guts to put a young player on your team and see what happens. It can be a disaster, but it can be successful.
“I think that many teams in South Africa are now following that. When I see Stellenbosch, and even Sundowns, the top team, they have young players of 21 and 22 years in the team. That is the future you need patience.
“Those players who play in Europe are still a bit in front of our players in our national competition. I hope with our results we have some players who can go to Europe.
“It would be good for South African football. It would be good for Bafana Bafana. And the value of South African football will increase when you have players playing in Europe.”