Coach Broos’ nerve about the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifications

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) qualification matches are scheduled to kick off in November 2023 until November 2025. In total, CAF has reserved nine slots in the final tournament, along with an inter-confederation play-off slot.

The CAF draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has placed South Africa in Group C, along with Nigeria, Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho.

In their opening fixtures, South Africa will take on Benin at home and then face Rwanda away. Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos expressed confidence in his team’s chances, emphasising the significant progress made over the last two years.

“The away games will be very important in a group like ours, but now a little bit more because we have five difficult away games for different reasons,” Broos said.

“I think it is possible for South Africa to qualify for the 2026 Fifa World Cup first in the group. If you see the progress we have made in the last two years, you cannot compare those qualifiers (for the 2026 World Cup) with the qualifiers for the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar. We are better now, we have a better team now. So okay, I am confident.”

Sports analyst Sani Usman also shared his perspective, predicting that the battle for supremacy in Group C would primarily be between Nigeria and South Africa.

“If you look at that particular group, you will see that the two biggest teams in it are from Nigeria and South Africa, so the competition in that group will be between those two teams,” said Usman.

The optimism in the South African camp is rooted in their impressive performance during the previous World Cup qualifying match. Bafana Bafana had an unbeaten run in their first five matches, including a remarkable four-match winning streak.

However, the nation didn’t qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup will also feature a FIFA Play-Off Tournament involving six teams vying for the final two places at the 23rd edition of the tournament. This tournament includes two teams from Concacaf (North, Central America and the Caribbean) and one team each from the AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONMEBOL (South America) and OFC (Oceania).

Broos’s ambitious path to success

Broos, who took charge as Bafana’s head coach in May 2021, aims to secure the top spot in Group C. The team’s core players, including Ronwen Williams, Mothobi Mvala, Teboho Mokoena, Themba Zwane, Percy Tau, Lyle Foster, Zakhele Lepasa and Mihlali Mayambela, play a crucial role in Broos’s tactical plans. Their continuity in the squad is considered vital for success in the qualifiers.

Having managed the team in ten official matches, Broos has an impressive record with six wins, two draws and two defeats. Notably, both losses were incurred in away matches against higher-ranked teams in the FIFA world rankings, Morocco and Ghana. In total, across all competitions, he has managed 18 matches with 11 wins, five draws and three defeats, including a loss to France.

One of the key assets for South Africa is its formidable home form. Bafana Bafana remains undefeated at home under Broos. This factor could prove crucial in their journey to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which the United States, Canada and Mexico will co-host.

Despite participating in three previous FIFA World Cups – 1998, 2002, and 2010- South Africa has not progressed beyond the first round. The team is determined to change this trend and make a lasting impression on the global stage in 2026.

Regardless of the outcome, South African football fans can eagerly look forward to and engage with the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, both on and off the pitch, with the added excitement of Asian handicap betting on sports bet. This form of betting levels the playing field by handicapping teams based on their form, providing more balanced odds.

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