Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has expressed renewed confidence in his team ahead of their decisive 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Rwanda this Tuesday evening.
Speaking before the highly anticipated match at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga, Broos stressed that his squad has successfully overcome the mental disappointment of their previous result and is ready for the high-stakes final fixture.
Read: Lyle Foster Urges Bafana to Focus on Must-Win Rwanda Clash
The Stakes: A Must-Win Scenario
This match represents the final opportunity for the South African senior men’s national team to secure automatic qualification for the World Cup.
Group C Standings: Bafana Bafana currently sit in second place, two points behind group leaders Benin.
The Path to Qualification: Broos’s charges have a clear, two-part mission:
They must defeat Rwanda.
They must hope Nigeria beats Benin in their simultaneous fixture on the same day.
The Opponent: Rwanda, while already out of the qualifying equation, will be playing for pride after a heartbreaking last-minute loss to Benin in their recent match. They enter the fixture with no injury or suspension concerns.
Broos: “The Spark is Back”
The Bafana Bafana camp was visibly shaken by the frustrating 0-0 draw against Zimbabwe in their last qualifier on Friday night. Broos, however, is now convinced his team has pressed the “reset button” and recovered mentally.
“We are back mentally, and that is very important,” Broos asserted. “The [team’s] qualities didn’t disappear with the draw against Zimbabwe. It was mentally that we had to recover and turn the button. You can be sure that the button has been turned, and mentality, the team spirit and the belief is there again.”
The coach praised his players’ resilience, calling their ability to recover quickly an “amazing thing about this team.”
“After the uppercut we got on Friday, everyone can turn the button and focus on the next job in the shortest period of time. Therefore, I believe again and I’m confident that tomorrow we will fight for it again, and we will try to win the game, and we will have a big chance to win.”
Team News and Kick-Off
Bafana Bafana will be without suspended defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who received a late red card against Zimbabwe. Stellenbosch FC’s Thabo Moloisane has been called up as his replacement.
Furthermore, striker Ashley Cupido was brought into the squad as an injury replacement, offering coach Hugo Broos an extra attacking option for the crucial match.
The decisive Group C encounter against Rwanda is scheduled for Tuesday evening with kick-off at 18:00 at the Mbombela Stadium.