PSL
By The Numbers: Bafana secure a World Cup berth
Bafana Bafana’s two year journey to the 2026 World Cup
Bafana Bafana beat Rwanda 3-0 on Tuesday to secure automatic qualification to the 2026 World Cup.
The result, coupled with Nigeria’s 4-0 demolition on Benin, ensured that Bafana finished top of Group C with 18 points and became one of nine African teams with a confirmed ticket to the USA. This will be Bafana’s first participation since hosting the World Cup in 2010, but their first merit-based qualification in 24 years (since South Korea/Japan in 2002). By the Numbers is a review of Bafana’s qualification journey that began in 2023.
A long time coming
By hosting the 2010 World Cup, Bafana secured a place as hosts of the tournament. However, they had been involved in the qualifying process anyway, as the same tournament doubled up as AFCON qualifiers. Bafana finished second in their group back then, so on merit, would not have qualified for the tournament outright. No matter how you look at it, it has been a long time since the boys went to the greatest show in the world on merit.
24 years between World Cups for Bafana (2002-2006)
4 – World Cups Bafana tried (and failed) to reach between 2002 and 2026 (excl. 2010)
7 – players who participated in these qualifiers that were born after the World Cup 2002
Despite prolonged years of absence, Bafana are still one of the continent’s biggest representatives historically.
4 – World Cups Bafana have been to as many as Egypt, Senegal and Ivory Coast
6 – African teams that have been to more World Cups
8 – World Cups that Cameroon have been to, the most of all African teams
Hugo Broos’ magic
At the helm of Bafana’s recent success is Belgian coach Hugo Broos. The 74-year-old joined Bafana Bafana in 2021 and has already overseen the qualifying campaign towards the 2022 World Cup. While Bafana were pipped to that event by Ghana, it happened by the narrowest of margins – a 1-0 defeat in the last game away to Ghana meant they went through instead. The two teams were level on points, goal difference, and Ghana won the tie-breaker on goals scored (the controversial penalty in that 1-0 defeat).
10 – games Broos oversaw in this qualifying campaign (Won 6, Drew 3, Lost 1 since 2023)
1 – Only once before have Bafana won more games in qualifying (7 wins out of 8 in 2002)
17 – goals scored by Bafana in this campaign (a new record for the team in one campaign)
1.7 – goals per game for Bafana in this campaign (only 2014 had a better ratio – 2 goals per game)
Should he remain head coach when we head to the USA, the Belgian stands to set a new world record – he could become the oldest ever coach at a World Cup (74 years old).
71y 317d – Otto Rehhagel, managing Greece (in 2010), is the oldest
70y 130d – Cesare Maldini, managing Paraguay (in 2002), is the oldest
Player contributions
“Now you certainly see that in the national team, there is a fantastic mentality of winners – they want to win, they want to work hard if we have to work hard, so this is the right mentality and, again, you achieve things with that.”
Broos will get the plaudits, and deservedly so. But even he was quick to point out that the players were important in this journey. There were 11 players in Bafana’s Starting XI against Rwanda last night, playing for local PSL clubs. This is the first time we played a World Cup qualifier under Hugo Broos with no foreign-based starters. Together, the foreign-based players and local-based players have merged to provide Broos with the right balance of hunger, experience, and tactical acumen. It’s been a team effort, and for success in America, it should continue thus.
12 – Altogether, 12 different players scored at least once for Bafana in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Never before have we seen more different players score for Bafana in a single qualifying campaign.