Bafana still in charge of fate despite Nigeria draw

BAFANA Bafana are still on the brink of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite being held to a draw by rivals Nigeria at the Toyota Stadium last night.

- MIHLALI BALEKA

A victory for Bafana would have sealed their qualification fate, especially if Benin had dropped points at home to Lesotho in a later qualifier.

But it wasn't to be. Bafana remained top of Group C with 17 points and have two games to play against Zimbabwe and Rwanda next month. A win from one of those matches could guarantee Bafana's qualification, especially after FIFA's earlier communication.

The governing body indicated that they would not unleash a harsher punishment on Bafana for fielding a suspended Teboho Mokoena, after sending a cryptic post about permutations before the game.

Bafana's flowers have been well-watered here in the City of Roses since they brought their qualifiers to these parts. But for all the success they've enjoyed, today they needed the support to blossom.

The support wasn't as expected, but the few bums in the seats made their voices heard. After all, these were the people of Siwelele - the most passionate football supporters in the land.

When the Super Eagles landed here on Sunday, they must have been colorblind, as Siwelele are also clad in green and white, just like them. So, Bafana used that to their advantage, lighting up their way to the World Cup.