Bafana target Mbombela redemption in win-and-see World Cup qualifier against Rwanda

It’s a win-and-see scenario for Bafana Bafana when they take on Rwanda in their final 2026 FIFA World Cup Group C qualifier on Tuesday night.

The 2010 World Cup hosts are fighting it out with Benin for automatic qualification for next year’s tournament, while a second-place finish will not be enough for them to advance to the playoffs.

“I said in the past few days that it wasn’t a good result for us [against Zimbabwe], but we don’t have to start doubting the quality of the team at this moment,” Hugo Broos stated about their hopes of qualifying for a first World Cup since 2002.

“We don’t have to do what some people are doing now, starting to doubt and putting everything in question. I don’t think that’s the right thing to do now. We have to support the team. I am sure that we’ll be ready tomorrow. We are ready to win the game, but we all know that won’t be enough. Let’s hope that the gods are with us.”

As for the surprise draw to Zimbabwe, Broos believes his side are now over it and are ready to take out their frustration on a Rwanda team who remain the nly side to beat them on the pitch during qualifying.

The 3-0 loss to Lesotho came as a result of a FIFA sanction after South Africa had fielded the ineligible Teboho Mokoena during their meeting earlier this year.

“We are back mentally and that is very important. The qualities and whatever that didn't disappear with the draw against Zimbabwe, it was mentally that we had to recover a difference. The team spirit is again there and it is amazing that everyone can focus on the job.”

Broos has also addressed the criticism aimed at Lyle Foster, after he missed two chances in the goalless draw against Zimbabwe.

The Burnley forward is now a doubt for the game at Mbombela Stadium, having sat out training on Monday as a precaution.

“I think Lyle has become a very important player for us, you have to admit that,” Broos said about the forward.

“He was a little bit unlucky on Friday. When you see his previous games, he’s scored goals. He had a very big chance on the line, they saved it. But he is a very important player.”

With the team already without the suspended Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Broos was keen to remind fans to believe in the players who he will select for the game.

“Mbokazi has become also a very important player, but he won’t be here tomorrow,” he added. “We have to be confident on the players that are there. Let’s see what happens tomorrow. But again, I’m not a coach who’s doubting now what could happen tomorrow and the quality players and also players that are not there.”

The Stadium in Nelspruit has become a fortress since 2010 for South Africa, whose record reads as won six and drawn four of their 10 matches since 2010.

However, the venue remains the scene of their most embarrassing moment after they began to dance as they celebrated qualifying for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, only to realize their calculations were wrong.

Fourteen years on, the current generation is seeking to restore national pride, with captain Ronwen Williams confident in exorcising that qualification demon.

“Like I mentioned, I believe in fairy tales because when they asked us last month, where do we want to play, most of the players said it’s either Port Elizabeth or Cape Town, cause of the support that we got and then, for some weird reason, we just heard that we coming to Mbombela Stadium, and maybe now it’s time to right our wrongs from so many years ago.

"People still mention that, and that is something that sits with Bafana Bafana [and] will probably be there forever. So hopefully tomorrow we can rewrite the script, and like I said I believe in fairy tales. Tomorrow we go again.”