The South African football team have defied the logic of global spreadsheets, analysts and soccer pundits by doing the unthinkable and creating probably the biggest upset of the 2026 Fifa World Cup to date.
They ripped up the betting books and made a mockery of so-called bookies.
Against every cynical prediction, Bafana Bafana marched into the round of 32. For a nation that has spent years navigating footballing doldrums, watching Hugo Broos’s men claim their rightful place on the world stage is a sporting miracle.
The tournament represents something far bigger than 90 minute matches. This is the world’s first digital, AI-driven World Cup spectacle and Africa is maximising every byte of attention. We owe a debt of gratitude to Fifa for expanding the tournament to feature 10 African nations. This isn’t just about publicity; it is a milestone for development and exposure. It ensures that millions of viewers can witness African talent in high definition, while accelerating the commercial and technological footprint of football across the continent. What better time than when talismanic sitting CAF president Patrice Motsepe is guiding African football back to its glory days.
Yet, as I watch the brave young men write their names into the history books, I am struck by nostalgia – and frustration.
We find ourselves 16 years post the historic 2010 Fifa World Cup on South African soil. It was a moment of national pride, yet many of the promises made in 2010 have not been realised.
The World Cup Legacy Fund, intended to be an engine for grassroots growth, has felt more like a myth than a reality for thousands of aspiring youngsters in our townships. Most tragically, South Africa no longer enjoys the fruits of institutions like the specialised School of Excellence – an academy that once produced world-class footballers. We replaced a conveyor belt of elite talent with administrative inertia.
Watching Bafana Bafana battle their way through the group stages reminds me that not all is lost. The foundation is there, waiting to be reclaimed. The world-class infrastructure and majestic stadia from 2010 remain standing as monuments to what we are capable of achieving.
The current run evokes powerful memories of the golden era. I think back to the legendary 1996 squad that conquered Africa at Afcon by winning 2-0 against Tunisia. This year marked 30 years since those days. I was barely 10 years old, wide-eyed and captivated, watching great Phil Masinga and the flying “Midnight Express” Helman Mkhalele don the beautiful South African jersey, with the towering Andre Arendse keeping guard in goal.
That was a golden era of South Africa’s finest defying the odds, playing with a flair and joy that captured the world’s imagination. Broos’s boys are channelling the same spirit. They have earned the right to be mentioned in the same breath as our historical greats.
The best gift we can give this team is to shed our collective scepticism and support them like there is no tomorrow.
Go Bafana Bafana! Ndizani Bafana Baka Broos!
- Nkhoma is a communications consultant and businessman.
- South Africa's football team caused a major upset at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- Their victory defied expectations set by analysts, global spreadsheets, and soccer pundits.
- This achievement is considered probably the biggest surprise of the tournament so far.
- Details of the match and performance are featured in the Sunday World e-edition.
- Full story access requires purchasing the e-edition of Sunday World.
