Bafana Bafana appeared to be well on their way to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, but a goalless draw has derailed their chances.
After seven matches, South Africa had accumulated 16 points and seemed just one win away from qualification. Their 1-1 draw with Nigeria still left them in a strong position; however, a previous mistake came back to haunt them.
Last week, FIFA deducted three points from Bafana for fielding Teboho Mokoena against Lesotho earlier this year. Mokoena, a midfielder for Mamelodi Sundowns, was supposed to serve a suspension in that match after receiving three yellow cards, but he ended up playing.
With the three-point deduction, South Africa now needed to win their last two matches. However, against Zimbabwe in Durban, they failed to score and are now in danger of missing another World Cup.
Hugo Broos’ team had much of the possession but couldn’t find the back of the net. A win for Nigeria and Benin means that all three teams still have a chance to qualify for next year’s tournament.
What happened to Bafana? Why did they struggle to defeat Zimbabwe?
The Warriors are considered the weakest team in Group C, and many expected South Africa to secure an easy win, especially playing on home turf.
Bafana had shown impressive form throughout the qualifiers and were playing with confidence before the match against Zimbabwe. However, the players felt the pressure after losing those three points to FIFA, leaving them level on points with Benin.
This pressure was evident early in the game as they struggled to break through the Zimbabwean defence. Typically, Bafana dominates the midfield and opens up their opponents, but against Zimbabwe, they seemed to force plays, which played into the hands of the opposition.
Poor decision-making and a lack of composure led to their failure to crack the stubborn Zimbabwean defence. Ultimately, Bafana were left frustrated by Zimbabwe in a must-win match, a scenario that has occurred frequently before Hugo Broos’ era.
Each time Bafana has attempted to qualify for tournaments, they have ended up relying on complicated calculations, which usually fail.
The decision to field Mokoena against Lesotho put extra pressure on the team, and they were unable to respond effectively against their neighbours.
