Bafana coach Hugo Broos wants six points Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos wants the team to pick up maximum points in their World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin next week. Photo: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Newspapers
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Newspapers
Bafana Bafana - the South African senior men's football team is gearing for the fifth and sixth matches to make it to the biggest stage of football; the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America.
Coach Hugo Broos called his 23 men squad into camp on Monday to start preparing for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers match up against the Likuena of Lesotho at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Friday evening and the Cheetahs of Benin on Tuesday the 25th at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Ivory Coast.
Broos has made callups with Percy Tau back in camp after sometime on the sidelines owing to an injury. A lot of attention will be given to on form players like Jayden Adams, Iqraam Rayners and Relebohile Mofokeng, the squad will miss star playmaker Themba Zwane who has just got back to training after five months on the sidelines due to an injury sustained while on international duty in the Afcon qualifiers against Congo Brazzaville last year.
Broos gave Polokwane City midfielder Ndamulelo Maphangule a late callup to replace Mamelodi Sundowns' Aubrey Modiba who is out on family responsibility.
Bafana Bafana are second on the log of six national teams tied with first and third placed Rwanda and Benin respectively due to the goal difference with seven points each after four matches each, with Lesotho on five points, Nigeria three points and Zimbabwe at the bottom of the table with two points.
Bafana are looking to make it to the biggest football competition worldwide after one and half decade since they played in the 2010 edition of the competition by virtue having been hosts. The team is looking to play both Afcon 2025 and the 2026 world cup, which will play later this year and mid year next year respectively.