Bafana Bafana have been drawn in Group C with their arch-rivals, Nigeria, for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The draw was conducted in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Thursday evening. This was after CAF’s general assembly in the country, where CAF announced an R388.5 million growth in revenue.
Other teams to make up Bafana’s group include Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho. The World Cup qualifiers are set to begin in November and finish in October next year.
Bafana and Nigeria have a storied history of competition, and their matches are always hotly contested.
SA’s only victory over Nigeria in a competitive match came in a 2-0 upset in Uyo, Nigeria, in June 2017 under the guidance of coach Stuart Baxter. The match was a 2019 AFCON qualifier.
The winners of nine six-team groups will book a spot in the next global showpiece. In addition, the four best runners-up will participate in a play-off stage to decide the one team to take part in a further FIFA Intercontinental playoff tournament.
WORLD CUP EXPANDED FROM 32 TEAMS TO 48
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will see a significant increase in Africa’s representation, with nine guaranteed spots for African teams. This is up from five in the 32-team format.
Bafana have only qualified for three FIFA World Cups since their readmission to international football in 1992. They made their World Cup debut in 1998 and then appeared again in 2002 and 2010, when SA hosted the tournament.
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Hugo Broos will be looking to guide Bafana to World Cup qualification after failing to do so for the Belgian coach failed to help the national team qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
CAF 2026 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING GROUP C: Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Lesotho.
OTHER GROUPS
Group A: Egypt, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Djibouti
Group B: Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritania, Togo, Sudan, South Sudan
Group D: Cameroon, Cape Verde, Angola, Libya, Eswatini, Mauritius
Group E: Morocco, Zambia, Congo, Tanzania, Niger, Eritrea
Group F: Ivory Coast, Gabon, Kenya, Gambia, Burundi, Seychelles
Group G: Algeria, Guinea, Uganda, Mozambique, Botswana, Somalia
Group H: Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Malawi, Liberia, Sao Tome e Principe
Group I: Mali, Ghana, Madagascar, Central African Republic, Comoros, Chad