SOWETAN SAYS | We trust Bafana to qualify, bring us joy

Bafana Bafana can take a decisive step towards qualifying for the 2026 World Cup this weekend. Our lads face Lesotho on Friday and Benin on Tuesday, and maximum points should paint a clearer picture as to who from the group – which includes Rwanda, Nigeria and Zimbabwe – will be headed to the tournament in North America next year.

Currently trailing table-toppers Rwanda only by goal difference, we trust Bafana won’t disappoint us. It’s been a while since they let the country down, and we have no reason to believe they can revert to their previous ways of churning out disappointing performances.

Unbeaten at home since Hugo Broos took over in 2021, our national team should look for a commanding win against neighbours Lesotho at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

South Africans have taken to Bafana’s liking in the last year, since they surprised all and sundry by winning bronze at the last Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. Broos has selected another competitive team that should make us proud. We welcome the return of Percy Tau to the fold after a tough past few months, where he had to leave Egypt’s Al Ahly for Qatar. Tau, one of Bafana’s most potent weapons, should rediscover his form for the national side.

Broos has continued to rejuvenate the team, introducing younger players to broaden his pool. This week, he included Vuyo Letlapa of Sekhukhune United in the place of Aubrey Modiba, as well as Ndamulelo Maphangule of Polokwane City, who replaced Patrick Maswanganyi.

This shows that Broos is a fair coach who watches domestic football diligently, which enables him to have a bigger list of on-form players. It is a pity that Khulumane Ndamane of TS Galaxy had to be withdrawn from the initial squad because of a passport issue. Ndamane’s withdrawal came after Galaxy owner Tim Sukazi had complained that Broos was overlooking some players for selection, so it’s ironic that Sukazi’s club failed to fulfill a basic objective to ensure their player had a passport.

Bafana cannot afford to drop any points this Fifa week and should take nothing for granted. While Lesotho and Benin are lowly ranked, they are not too far off SA in Group C. Benin are actually tied on seven points with Bafana, while Lesotho are on five points. They, too, will feel they have a chance to steal one of Africa’s 10 spots for the World Cup finals. But we trust that Bafana will make us happy again.