On The Mark: A dream start for Bafana
Bafana Bafana have got off to the dream start in their World Cup qualification campaign … and they still have not kickled their first ball.
Lesotho’s heroics on Thursday, holding mighty Nigeria 1-1 away from home is a major result not only for the mountain kingdom but also for South Africa, who are in the same group.
So too, Wednesday’s result from Rwanda where Zimbabwe were held to a goalless draw by another of the group’s minnows.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Zimbabwe’s Warriors were always going to be the biggest obstacle to South Africa finishing top of the six-team group and qualifying for the next World Cup finals, to be co-hosted in 2026 by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Now it is up to the South Africans to take advantage and start their campaign in winning fashion. They are up against Benin, who are 29 places below them in the latest Fifa rankings. The match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium now takes on extra importance as South Africa can ill afford to let this opportunity slip. The team then go to Rwanda, for their second of 10 qualifying matches, on Tuesday and on the evidence of Rwanda’s play against Zimbabwe, this is another game they can, and must, win.
The fixture list for the group has been kind to Bafana, giving them a relatively gentle start and it is imperative that they use it.
There will, however, be some understandable scepticism about South Africa’s ability and desire, particularly after a set of unimpressive draws at home to Eswatini and Namibia in recent home friendlies. There looks to be no killer element to this young Bafana side and, while they did more than held their own when they met Morocco and the Ivory Coast this year, they have not shown the steely edge needed to dispose of teams who
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