COMING TO AMERICA! Bafana Bafana come up trumps in tense World Cup qualifying battle

BAFANA BAFANA 3 (2) Mbatha 6’, Appollis 25’, Makgopa 73’

RWANDA 0

In the heartbeat of Mpumalanga — Nelspruit — the sun shone brightly on Hugo Broos and his Bafana Bafana boys as they successfully knocked on God’s window to qualify for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.

Bafana beat Rwanda 3-0 to reach the promised land — automatically qualifying for the first time since 2002 — after finishing top of Group C, thanks to goals from Thalente Mbatha, Oswin Appollis, and Evidence Makgopa.

The victory was also made possible by an unexpected source: Nigeria, who beat Benin 4-0 on home soil, dethroning them from the No 1 spot in Group C.

With this region of the country also boasting the Big Five, Broos and Bafana deserved to feast on the buffalo for a job well done. The Belgian has also seen his football career come full circle, as he’ll now coach at the global showpiece — 40 years after competing in the tournament himself.

But Bafana didn’t only deserve a feast fit for kings — they played like the rest of the Big Five as well: the lion, the leopard, the rhino, and the elephant. And that’s why they’ll head into Afcon later this year as one of the favourites.

Broos and this Bafana team have been a match made in heaven since they joined forces in 2021. So, the fact that they secured their ticket to the global showpiece in a province known for its rich heritage and nature reserves was fitting — ordained by the football gods.

The Belgian has been a father figure to his troops, both on and off the field. Like a shepherd, he knew that his cubs would deliver when it mattered most, ruling the jungle that was Group C amid all the challenges they faced.

And boy, they didn’t disappoint. They arrived at the venue full of confidence, belting out a prayer song — Tumelo (loosely translated to “hope” or “faith”) — as they got off the team bus before kick-off.

Vincent Tseka, the team manager who was behind the blunder that forced Fifa to deduct three points, looked guilty before the warm-up. He cut a lone figure at the centre of the pitch, perhaps asking himself how he missed that Teboho Mokoena was on two yellow cards prior to the game against Lesotho.

Tseka would leave the pitch at ease, though. Bafana carried that pre-match energy onto the field and took the game to the visitors. And for all their early effort, it was Oswin Appollis who was running at Rwanda’s defence like a leopard.

Appollis — whose rebirth must also be credited to the belief Broos has shown in him after he temporarily quit football — made his first contribution when he set up Thalente Mbatha in front of goal. The Orlando Pirates midfielder, one of four changes to the team that drew with Zimbabwe, blasted a thunderbolt that Fiacre Ntwari parried into his own top corner.

It was the start Bafana needed, and there were no bums on seats on the zebra-striped chairs. Bafana didn’t drop the tempo, with Broos pacing up and down the touchline like a father waiting for the birth of his son.

Evidence Makgopa — a player Broos has shown incredible faith in despite public criticism — calmed the Belgian’s nerves. The lanky striker galloped at Rwanda’s defence like an elephant walking on ants, then delivered a beautiful assist to Appollis, who accepted the gift with a half-volley past Ntwari that lifted the roof off the stadium.

The football gods were smiling on Bafana. Even arch-rivals Nigeria were doing the Lord’s work in Uyo, with Victor Osimhen leading the onslaught against Benin with a hat-trick. That’s probably why there was a rare party in the heavens, with Amapiano and Afrobeats simultaneously creating a glorious cacophony.

Despite likely catching wind of what was happening in Uyo, Bafana continued to take the game to Rwanda in the second half. Sipho Mbule was like a rhino, poking Rwanda’s defence with his horn of passes. His teammates did their best to put the final nail in the coffin, and after Ntwari tried to keep the scoreline respectable, Makgopa found the breakthrough — a glancing header from close range.

In the end, the job was complete. The Shosholoza Meyl is back on track. Siyay’e North America — to the US, Canada, and Mexico — and we all have to thank Broos and his boys for shining the sun back on South African football. The football gods are smiling on us again — they’ve opened the window.