Orlando Pirates’ World Cup: How 2025/2026 PSL champions powered Bafana’s historic run to KO

Orlando Pirates did not just win the 2025/26 Betway Premiership. They supplied the decisive moment that carried South Africa’s Bafana Bafana into the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Eight Pirates players were named in Hugo Broos’ final 26-man squad for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the largest contingent from any single club.

A ninth, centre-back Mbekezeli Mbokazi, was developed at the club before his transfer to Chicago Fire in December 2025.

Together, that group made an historical achievement that will be remembered in South African football for generations.

Orlando Pirates’ 2025/26 PSL title: What changed everything

The story of Pirates’ influence on the national team begins with what they achieved domestically.

Under coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, the Buccaneers ended Mamelodi Sundowns’ eight-year stranglehold on the league title, finishing on 69 points to Sundowns’ 68.

It was the Pirates’ first Premiership crown in 14 years and their tenth league title overall. Ouaddou became the first coach in PSL history to win the championship after losing his opening two matches of the season.

The numbers behind the triumph tell the fuller story. Pirates conceded just 12 goals all season, the third-lowest tally in the competition’s history.

Goalkeeper Sipho Chaine set a new individual record for a single PSL campaign, with 21 clean sheets, while the team as a whole matched the all-time league record of 21 shutouts.

A league title was supplemented by the League Cup and the Black Label Cup to complete a domestic treble.

That winning habit did not evaporate when the players swapped their black and white for Bafana gold.

Eight Pirates players in Bafana Bafana’s World Cup 2026 squad

The eight Pirates representatives in the World Cup squad were Chaine, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Kamogelo Sebelebele, Thalente Mbatha, Oswin Appollis, Tshepang Moremi, Relebohile Mofokeng and Evidence Makgopa.

Mofokeng wore the number 10 shirt at just 21 years of age, having registered 10 goals and eight assists in 27 league appearances during the title-winning campaign.

Moremi was similarly prolific, scoring 11 times in 39 appearances across all competitions for the Buccaneers before the tournament.

Mbatha anchored the midfield for both club and country, with a disciplined screening that allowed the creative players ahead of him to flourish. Makgopa and Appollis were threats in the final third throughout the domestic season.

Even those who did not feature heavily at the World Cup played their part in building the squad culture that Broos has credited as the foundation of the team’s success.

How Pirates’ stars powered Bafana’s historic World Cup knockout qualification

Bafana Bafana’s tournament did not begin the way anyone in the camp would have wanted. A 2-0 defeat to co-hosts Mexico on opening night in Mexico City left South Africa bottom of Group A and staring at an early exit.

Broos turned more prominently to his Pirates contingent for the second match against Czechia in Atlanta, bringing Mofokeng off the bench to inject the creativity that had been missing in the opener.

Bafana rescued a 1-1 draw courtesy of a late Teboho Mokoena penalty, keeping their hopes alive heading into the final group match.

It was against South Korea that the Pirates influence reached its peak. Broos handed Mofokeng his first start of the tournament, replacing the suspended Mokoena, and the youngster repaid the faith with the most inventive display of any player on the pitch.

Mbatha and his midfield partner Sphephelo Sithole controlled the central areas with the same composure they had shown in the PSL. Mbokazi, the Pirates academy graduate now plying his trade in MLS, was imperious at centre-back and arguably the best defender on the field.

And then came the moment that sealed history. Moremi entered from the bench and immediately destroyed the Korean left flank with his pace, beating defender Lee Han-beom with ease before delivering an exquisite pass for Thapelo Maseko to score the only goal of the match.

South Africa won 1-0, finished second in Group A on four points and qualified for the knockout rounds for the first time in the nation’s history.

Why Pirates’ PSL dominance translated to the World Cup stage

What Pirates gave Bafana Bafana at this World Cup extends beyond personnel. The club’s treble-winning season instilled a belief in the squad that South African football could compete at the highest level without relying heavily on overseas-based talent.

Pirates’ defensive solidity under Ouaddou translated directly into the national team setup. The back line that conceded just 12 goals in the PSL brought that same organisational discipline to the World Cup.

The creative spark of Mofokeng and Moremi proved just as effective against international opposition.

Bafana Bafana vs Canada: Pirates’ role in the Round of 32

Bafana Bafana will now face Canada in the Round of 32 in Los Angeles, another assignment where the Pirates contingent will be expected to lead from the front.

Moremi’s stock has soared after his match-winning cameo, while Mofokeng’s performances have intensified transfer speculation linking him with a move to Europe.

Whatever happens against the Canadians, the 2025/26 season will be remembered as the year Orlando Pirates powered a football nation back onto the world stage.

The Buccaneers are no longer just PSL champions. They are the club that made South African World Cup history.