Hugo Broos eyes vital wins for Bafana Bafana as World Cup qualification looms

The importance of soccer matches is often overestimated. Clashes between teams — be it at club or national team level — are invariably described as ‘do-or-die’ or ‘must-win’ affairs until it all becomes slightly tiresome.

Yet, when there is a place at football’s ultimate stage — the Fifa World Cup — at stake, every match takes on that stature. Even for countries ranked lowly and usually adding to the numbers, the World Cup dream ensures they approach matches with the seriousness of a heart attack.

It is for that reason that Hugo Broos is taking nothing for granted as he prepares for the next round of qualifiers for the global showpiece, scheduled for the Americas — US, Canada, and Mexico —in 2026. South Africa’s senior national team coach is leaving nothing to chance ahead of matches against countries they would ordinarily be expected to beat.

Bafana Bafana host Lesotho at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday before travelling to neutral Ivory Coast, where they will be hosted by a homeless Benin. The silver-haired Belgian, who played at the 1986 World Cup and harbours hopes of returning to the spectacle as a coach, sees this as a chance for Bafana to put themselves in the driving seat for the top spot in the group. But he knows it won’t be easy.

“These are important games ahead of us. It is a key moment where we can achieve two victories against Lesotho and Benin. I think we can take a big step towards qualification, so we will try to do it. On the other hand, we know these will be tough and difficult games.”

For a man who once spoke somewhat condescendingly of Lesotho — to the extent that the people from the mountain kingdom took offence — Broos was full of praise for Likuena in his arrival press conference at their base at The Ranch Resort, some 25 kilometres west of Polokwane.

“First of all, against Lesotho, they are a team that fights for each and every metre and every ball. And they are playing against South Africa, and I think they always give something extra against South Africa compared to other teams. It will be a tough game,” Broos explained.

He believes the clash with Benin will be even trickier.

“Then we have a game away against Benin. The advantage is they are playing in Ivory Coast, so the big crowd of supporters they would have had at home will not be there.

"That is a little advantage for us. But we saw what the game was like when we played them here and won 2-1. It was a very, very difficult game, and it will be difficult again.”

Broos, however, is optimistic that his players can overcome whatever challenges the opposition may pose and emerge victorious.

“We have to be confident that we can get six points from six,” he said about bagging maximum points from the two matches.

“But mentality will be more important than quality. We need to have the right mindset, the right mentality to play these two games. If we do that, we can succeed in getting six points.”

Currently joint top of Group C on seven points, along with Rwanda and Benin after four matches, Bafana can take sole leadership of the group should they win both matches and Rwanda drop points against Nigeria.

That would put them in the driving seat with four matches left to play as they seek to win the group and book their ticket to the global showpiece. They might not be decisive in the qualification process, but Bafana’s clashes against Lesotho and Benin are certainly crucial.