Bafana Bafana are set to play two crucial 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers in the next couple of days.
On Friday, they will host Lesotho at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane before playing Benin on Tuesday in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Rwanda, and Benin, alongside South Africa, are on seven points in Group C.
Maximum points in this outing will be a massive step for Bafana Bafana who are hoping to play their first World Cup since 2010. Coach Hugo Broos is anticipating a tough outing against Lesotho who have five points, but anticipates a relatively easier match in Ivory Coast.
The six points are critical
“As everybody knows, we have important games in front of us. It’s a key moment, I said that already before, if we can achieve two victories against Lesotho and Benin, then I think we can make a big step in qualification, certainly also taking into account the other games in the group. We will try to do it, and on the other side we know that these will be tough and difficult games,” he said as quoted by Safa media team.
“First up we have Lesotho on Friday. Lesotho is a team that fights for each other. They fight for each other, they fight for each meter and every ball, and they are playing against South Africa. So, I think they will try to do something more against South Africa and against other teams. So again, it will be a tough game.
“And then we have the game outside of the country against Benin. The only advantage we have here is that Benin are playing in Ivory Coast, so a big crowd and their supporters will not be there. That is a little advantage for us,” Broos concluded.
