Bafana Bafana goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams has conceded that they will need all the luck that is there in their quest to qualify for the 2026 World Cup next year in Canada, Mexico, and the US.
Bafana host Rwanda in a must-win Group C final World Cup qualifier match at the Mbombela Stadium, in Nelspruit, on Tuesday evening.
South Africa found themselves between a rock and a hard place when they were docked three points by FIFA for fielding an ineligible Teboho Mokoena during their game against Lesotho in March this year.
Qualification could hinge on Nigeria vs Rwanda game
Now, Bafana’s dream of securing qualification for the World Cup since 2002 is no longer in their hands, as they must not only win against Amavubi but also rely on the outcome between chasers Nigeria and top-of-the-table Benin in Uyo.
Broos’ men suffered a major setback when they were held to a frustrating and disappointing draw by Zimbabwe in Durban last Friday.
The permutations lingering around the final day are that Bafana must win against Rwanda and hope Nigeria also gets the job done over Benin to realise their elusive World Cup dream.
Fairytale could turn into reality
“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, because of the support that we got,” Williams said ahead of the game.
“And then, for some weird reason, we just heard that we are coming to Mbombela Stadium, and maybe now it’s time to right our wrongs from so many years ago, because people still mention that, and that is something that sits with Bafana for as long as it will probably be there forever.
“So hopefully tomorrow we can rewrite the script, and like I said, I believe in fairy tales. Tomorrow [Tuesday], we go again.
“Calculators will be out at the Mbombela, and hopefully things can go in our favour. Now, hopefully the football gods will be on our side, and tomorrow we all will be dancing, maybe we’ll rock that same dance that they did that you,” he concluded jokingly.
African nations that have already booked their ticket to the Americas are Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Ghana, and Cape Verde.
The current Group C Standings:
Benin – 17 pts
South Africa – 15 pts
Nigeria – 14 pts
Lesotho – 12 pts
Rwanda – 11 pts
Zimbabwe – 5 pts