Bafana Bafana’s success at the 2026 Fifa World Cup would be advancing beyond the group stage for the first time, despite being underdogs in Group A against Mexico, Korea Republic, and Czechia. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Media
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Media
There are times when life and sport intersect, and at the Fifa World Cup in June, that will be the case for Bafana Bafana.
Let me explain.
When you achieve a certain goal in life, what do you do next? You set a new goal.
Those goals, however lofty, need to be based in reality. If you’ve just landed your first job out of school, it shouldn’t be about earning your first million; it makes much more sense to aim to buy and afford a car.
But back to Bafana. They qualified for the Fifa World Cup for the first time since the 2002 edition; that alone is cause for celebration.
Drawn in Group A alongside Mexico, Korea Republic, and Czechia (Czech Republic), it’s difficult to see how Bafana can progress to the next round.
Taking on the tournament co-hosts Mexico in the World Cup opener on June 11 could prove to be a huge challenge for Bafana, even under the sage leadership of coach Hugo Broos.
Mexico are 15th in the Fifa world rankings, Korea Republic are 25th, and Czechia are 41st.
Where is Bafana ranked? 60th.
It means the matches against Mexico and Korea, Bafana will be expected to lose, and even a draw in either of those clashes would be a good result.
Even against Czechia, Bafana will be heavy underdogs, and a stalemate could be the best they could hope for.
Fortunately for Bafana, games of football aren’t fought on paper, and the rankings won’t matter on match day.
The top two teams in every group will advance, with the eight best third-placed teams across each pool also progressing to the round of 32.
With 12 groups at the Fifa World Cup, it means there’s still a decent chance of progressing for sides that don’t finish last in the standings.
Therefore, in my humble opinion, even if Bafana do not manage a win at the World Cup— which the odds indicate is likely— making it to beyond the group stage for the first time in their history will be a remarkable achievement.
Get your news on the go. Download the latest IOL App for Android and IOS now.
* The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL or Independent Media.
** JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Send us an email with your comments, thoughts or responses to [email protected]. Letters should be a maximum of 500 words, and may be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Submissions should include a contact number and physical address (not for publication).