South Africa’s return to the FIFA World Cup is no longer a distant dream, it is now just days away. When Bafana Bafana walk out against Mexico in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup next week, it will not only mark their return to football’s grandest stage after a 16-year absence, but also a chance to rewrite history.
The fixture itself feels symbolic as Mexico were South Africa’s opponents in the opening game of the 2010 World Cup on home soil. Back then, Siphiwe Tshabalala’s iconic strike lit up Soccer City and momentarily united the Rainbow Nation.
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This time, another generation has the opportunity to create new memories and South Africans have every right to dream again. Bafana topped their qualifying group to secure their place in North America, ending years of frustration and near misses.
However, now that qualification has been achieved, expectations must change because participating cannot be enough. South Africa’s previous World Cup campaigns in 1998, 2002 and 2010 all ended in disappointment, with the team failing to progress beyond the group stages on each occasion.
For a nation that lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy in 1996, that record remains difficult to ignore. This current group has, however, developed under the leadership of Hugo Broos. Many of these players have grown together over the last few years and have already shown they can compete against some of Africa’s strongest footballing nations.
If this team was expected to mount a serious challenge at the last AFCON in Morocco, then progressing beyond the first round of the world cup should not be viewed as unrealistic.
The expanded 48-team format also presents a greater opportunity, with more teams advancing to the knockout rounds, reaching the last 32 should be considered the minimum target rather than an ambitious dream.
Of course, preparation has not been perfect as Visa complications delayed the team’s departure to Mexico by a day. That disrupted plans before the tournament had even begun, but those setbacks are now behind them as Bafana adjusts to new surroundings at their training base in Pachuca.
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I’ve observed the long tendency among South African football supporters to celebrate qualification as the final destination, but this squad must arrive at the World Cup ready to make history and announce their return on the world stage in style.
