For the first time since hosting the 2010 tournament, South Africa are back on soccer’s biggest stage, and this time they’ve earned it.
When Hugo Broos’ side sealed qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the celebrations told their own story. It’s been more than two decades since South Africa last qualified for the tournament on merit — the 2002 edition in Korea and Japan — and a full 15 years since they played as hosts under the floodlights and vuvuzelas of Soccer City. That World Cup was unforgettable for its atmosphere, but also bittersweet: despite Siphiwe Tshabalala’s thunderbolt against Mexico, South Africa became the first hosts ever to be eliminated in the group stage.
Since then, the road has been long and often bleak. But Broos’ Bafana Bafana have found direction again, and the timing couldn’t be better. The expanded 48-team format for 2026 gives them a real chance to do something no South African side has ever achieved: reach the knockout rounds.
A New World Cup Format, a New Opportunity
The 2026 World Cup will be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico and will feature 48 nations for the first time. Teams will play in 12 groups of four. The top two from each group, along with the eight highest-ranked third-place sides, will move on to a 32-team knockout stage. The expanded design keeps more countries involved deeper into the competition and could suit South Africa, a team that has so often missed out by the smallest of margins.
Their record at past tournaments is full of near misses. They went out on goals scored in 2002, and fell short by goal difference again in 2010. Fast forward 15 years and Broos’ men have proved they can compete; now, with more spots up for grabs, the format finally matches their ambitions.
The Odds Tell a Cautious Story
If you’re looking at the latest outright odds for the 2026 showpiece in the United States, you’ll quickly see that lifting the trophy may still be a bridge too far. At Betway, a leading online sportsbook and casino offering markets across soccer, esports and more, South Africa are priced around +50000 to win the tournament outright.
That figure reflects reality as the favorites are likely to be the usual heavyweights: Brazil, France, Argentina and England, with Morocco and Senegal carrying Africa’s shorter odds. Still, history isn’t made by odds alone. For a country that has waited 23 years to qualify on merit, simply being in North America represents progress, and any advance beyond the group stage would mark a watershed moment for South African football.
The Broos Blueprint
At 73, South African coach Broos is nearing the final chapter of a distinguished coaching career. The Belgian led Cameroon to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations title and guided Bafana Bafana to third place at AFCON 2024, their best continental finish in over two decades. He has confirmed that the 2026 World Cup will be his swan song, but he’s already looking beyond it.
Broos has publicly endorsed his long-time assistant Helman Mkhalele, a former national team star, to succeed him. It’s a testament to the continuity he has built, a successful mixture of European structure and African flair that’s restored discipline and identity to a once-drifting side.
“I always dreamed about it,” Broos said after qualification. “At the end of my playing career, I had a World Cup. Now at the end of my coaching career, I’ll get another one. What could be better?”
Key Players to Watch
The heartbeat of this team starts at the back. Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, recently crowned CAF Goalkeeper of the Year, anchors a defense that kept five clean sheets during qualifying. In midfield, Teboho Mokoena controls tempo and territory with a maturity that belies his age. Broos calls him “one of the best midfielders in Africa,” and he might not be wrong.
Up front, Oswin Appollis is coming into his own; his stunning volley against Rwanda in Mbombela sealed qualification, while Evidence Makgopa continues to grow into a reliable target man. There’s also excitement around Lyle Foster, who’s finding form for Burnley in the Premier League in helping the Clarets move out of the Betway relegation markets. In the Middle East, 20-year-old Mohau Nkota is already making waves at Saudi club Al-Ettifaq.
Together, they form the most balanced South African side in a generation: young, technically confident and permitted to play with freedom.
Lessons from AFCON and the Road Ahead
The signs were clear in the Ivory Coast during the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations. Bafana Bafana’s tactical discipline and defensive resilience carried them past Tunisia and Cape Verde before losing on penalties in the semifinal. They responded by winning the third-place playoff, their first medal at a major tournament since 2000. Given that the Betway AFCON odds in the lead-up to the tournament priced South Africa as unlikely to get out of the group stage, this was a monumental achievement.
That experience hardened the group. Broos’ calm authority and the players’ growing confidence suggest this World Cup won’t just be a cameo. A place in the round of 32 looks realistic, especially with African teams now accustomed to making deep runs. Morocco’s semifinal journey in 2022 showed what’s possible.
A Country Ready to Dream Again
From the Springboks’ triumphs to Olympic swimming and cricket success, South African sport has enjoyed a golden run. Soccer, long the missing piece, is finally catching up. When Broos’ men take the field in June 2026, it will be more than a soccer match; it will be a statement that Bafana Bafana belong among the world’s best again.
No one expects miracles, but this team looks ready and, crucially, capable of finally shedding the tag of perennial underachievers.