The first job of qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is complete for Bafana Bafana in what has been a heady week for South African football.
But the bigger mission of reaching the 2026 Fifa World Cup is filled with potential pitfalls and major conundrums that coach Hugo Broos and his technical team will have to ponder over in the next few months.
After a busy period, the international scene is on a break until March, when the World Cup qualifiers will resume.
South Africa are currently in second position – due to goal difference – in Group C, level on seven points with leaders Rwanda.
That is mainly due to their surprise 2-0 defeat to Rwanda on a synthetic pitch in Kigali in November 2023, with the other results being 2-1 and 3-1 home wins over Benin and Zimbabwe, and a 1-1 away draw to Nigeria.
Of course, a lot has happened since, with Bafana producing an outstanding effort to finish third at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, while they reached the 2025 Afcon with an undefeated qualifying campaign.
Broos was rightly crowing after their 3-0 victory over South Sudan in front of a big crowd at Cape Town Stadium last Tuesday.
He was delighted by the gradual improvement in the hunger and mentality over the last two years, which has resulted in a properly co-ordinated game-plan that encourages wingers such as Oswin Appollis and Thapelo Morena to add width to the attack.
But while he is confident that South Africa can make it to the 2026 World Cup, he will need to find solutions to a number of challenges, the first of which will be limited preparation for their next match at home against Lesotho in March.
“That’s a problem (lack of friendlies). What can you do? We can’t organise games or camps, and I understand that there are PSL games and Champions League games and whatever,” Broos said.
“So, you can’t suddenly organise a camp and ask the clubs to release the players – it is what it is.
“But I am more confident than two years ago, if I shouldn’t see the players for two or four months. I think everyone knows his job, everyone knows how we play.
“There is a fantastic group, so, okay, we will not see each other for four months. But you will never hear me say in March, when the result is not good, that ‘Yes, but I didn’t see the players for four months’.
“That is for everyone, also our opponent. It’s a pity because we were in a flow at the moment, from the beginning of the year, and there were many games.
“Now there is a pause, and we take it like it is. But I’m not afraid that suddenly in March, there will be some problems.”
🥲 ℙℝ𝕆𝕌𝔻 🥲
🗣️ "𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚠𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚢 - 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚍"
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos reacting to their win over South Sudan in Cape Town!#SABCSportFootball #AFCONQ2025 pic.twitter.com/fC7Yi8QJtB
Broos has rightly praised the efforts of many of the newcomers or returnees to the side, with the likes of Appollis, Patrick Maswanganyi, Iqraam Rayners, Fawaaz Basadien, Bathusi Aubaas and Relebohile Mofokeng adding real energy over the past few months.
But nearly four months before the next encounter against Lesotho is a long time, so what about a few stalwarts who have been missing out recently?
Top of that list is Percy Tau. Broos made it clear a few weeks ago that the former Mamelodi Sundowns stalwart needs to move from Al Ahly, where he has not had much game-time, to another club.
The January transfer window will hopefully see Tau sign for another club – even if it means returning to a local side – as he can still be a valuable asset going forward, considering his European experience in Belgium and England.
Burnley striker Lyle Foster and playmaker Mihlali Mayambela, from Cypriot club Aris Limassol, both missed the Uganda and South Sudan fixtures with injuries, but will be able to regain their momentum in the coming months for their clubs.
⏪🅸🅲🆈🅼🅸 ⏪
— SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) November 20, 2024
Bafana Bafana finished at the top of #AFCONQ2025 Group K following their 3⃣➖0⃣ victory over South Sudan in Cape Town!#SABCSportFootball pic.twitter.com/DZg1VVG5Vi
Veteran forward Themba Zwane’s Achilles injury could keep him sidelined for anything between four and six months.
So, there is an outside chance that he could also be back for the Lesotho (home) and Benin (away) fixtures in March – but most certainly for the last four qualifiers in September and October against Lesotho (away), Nigeria (home), Zimbabwe (away) and Rwanda (home).
But should Broos stick to the current crop of players, guided by captain and 50-cap star goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who dispatched Uganda 2-0 away and South Sudan 3-0 in Cape Town anyway?
The 72-year-old mentor will be enjoying his Christmas break in Belgium, but stated that he will be watching the PSL and other SA club games, as well as rely on assistant coach Helman Mkhalele for feedback.
So, there is a lot to play for in the new year for the Bafana hopefuls to be part of the quest to secure their first World Cup berth since hosting the tournament in 2010.
Take me back to Cape Town....... 😍🇿🇦#BafanaPride pic.twitter.com/8mo0G5vfLV
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) November 21, 2024
“We were competitive in January (at the Afcon), and if you see the game (against South Sudan), the team have progressed. Little by little, it will give us the confidence for the next thing we have to do: to qualify for the World Cup,” Broos said.
“If you ask me now, if we are going to qualify for the World Cup, I can’t say yes, as you never know what can happen in a football game.
“If South Africa can qualify for the World Cup, it is now – because we have quality, a good team. We can do it, but we still have to do it.
“If we show the same mentality, same quality, same team spirit, there is a big chance that we will qualify (for the World Cup). We can hope that we can achieve it.”