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South Africa seal 2026 World Cup spot at Nigeria’s expense after dominant win over Rwanda
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
South Africa’s senior men’s national team have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Rwanda 3–0 in their final Group C fixture of the African qualifiers on Tuesday.
The result at the Mbombela Stadium saw the Bafana Bafana claim the group’s automatic World Cup ticket, edging out Nigeria, who finished second and will now proceed to the CAF playoffs.
Knowing that victory coupled with Benin Republic’s failure to beat Nigeria would guarantee their return to the global stage for the first time since 2010, Hugo Broos’ men wasted no time asserting their dominance.
Thalente Mbatha opened the scoring in the 5th minute with a stunning long-range strike before Oswin Appollis doubled the advantage midway through the first half.
The hosts sealed the win in the 72nd minute when Evidence Makgopa calmly slotted home South Africa’s third goal to spark jubilant celebrations among the home supporters.
With the convincing victory, South Africa finished top of Group C with 18 points from 10 matches, one point ahead of Nigeria, who will contest the CAF World Cup Qualifying Playoffs in November.
The qualification marks a significant milestone for the Bafana Bafana, ending a 16-year absence from the world’s biggest football tournament.
