2026 is here, and it will definitely be an interesting time for all sports fans, especially those who like football. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be the most exciting event of the year, and all eyes in South Africa are on Bafana Bafana.
The competition’s new format allowed more teams than ever before, and underdogs like South Africa are in an excellent position to make a name for themselves. We at Efirbet are aware that the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be one of the main events for online bettors. As a result, we decided to examine Bafana Bafana’s strengths, weaknesses, and realistic chances in the upcoming event. Let’s see what smart bettors should be aware of.
South Africa’s Road to Qualification – A Quick Recap
Bafana Bafana’s path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup was not as glamorous as some people may have wanted it to be. The team under Hugo Broos managed to secure a slot after finishing first in the CAF Group C. The country had to play alongside Nigeria, Benin, Lesotho, Rwanda and Zimbabwe, and it finished first with 18 points. Although this gave them the slot, Nigeria and Benin were very close because both ended up with 17 points.
What many people don’t seem to realise is that qualifications in Africa are rarely straightforward. Fortunately, South Africa navigated them with maturity and got the points it needed to succeed. Many of Bafana Bafana’s key players stepped in when needed and made the difference.
The country definitely looks promising on paper and will do its best to live up to expectations. Prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026, South Africa participated in the AFCON 2025, where it advanced from Group B by securing the 2nd spot. Sadly, the country was unable to defeat Cameroon in the Round of 16 and had to exit the competition.
World Cup Draw & Group Stage Outlook
After successfully qualifying for the biggest football event of the year, Bafana Bafana had to wait for the World Cup draw. The event itself took place on December 5 in Washington, D.C., and South Africa was placed in Group A. In other words, the country will be in the “Host groups” in the new tournament’s format that features 48 teams.
At the time of writing, South Africa is in a group with Mexico and South Korea. There will be a 4th team joining them from Europe once the UEFA Path D winner is revealed. Currently, the latter has the following 4 teams: the Czech Republic, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, and North Macedonia.
Mexico definitely looks like the strongest contender here. Aside from being the co-host, it is also a formidable force in football, and Bafana Bafana will face them in the opening match.
South Korea has an interesting squad that combines experience with new faces. The team has qualified for every World Cup since 1986 and can be tricky, so South Africa needs to be careful.
Regardless of which European team makes it (we’ll learn about that in March), each one will not go down without a fight. Bafana Bafana definitely need to be careful.
The good news is that South Africa seems to have a realistic path to advance to the Round of 32. Although the country’s opponents are not that easy to deal with, they are also not impossible to overcome. The new format allows some third-placed teams to progress to the next stage, so it will be interesting to see if SA will succeed.
Assessing South Africa’s Chances
It is important to be realistic when it comes to assessing Bafana Bafana’s chances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. No one can deny that South Africa enters the competition as one of the big underdogs. The current team lacks the depth and experience of many traditional contenders. This, however, does not automatically make them irrelevant because we’ve seen that everything is possible.
No one can deny that Broos made South Africa better. The team’s defensive structure is much stronger, the midfield works collectively, and this gives results. However, South Africa is not the best when it comes to goalscoring, and this can be a serious issue. We’ve seen that Bafana Bafana has struggled to create high-quality goal-scoring chances against strong opponents.
We have to be honest – winning the tournament is improbable. It is more realistic to wager on the fact that South Africa will reach the knockout rounds. Although this has never happened before, the new format and the current group give the country the opportunity (in theory) to do so.
One aspect that South African players must be aware of is their mentality. The country’s current generation has shown resilience and a willingness to suffer, even when it does not have possession of the ball. If they show the same performance a few months from now, Bafana Bafana has real chances of exiting the Group Stage.
Here’s What Bettors Should Be Aware Of
We believe that bettors wishing to wager on Bafana Bafana in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 should focus on the situational markets. Keep an eye on some of the options like “to qualify”, “finish seconds”, “finish third”, and so on. We’ve said it before – the new format allows even a third-place finish to advance to the next stage.
Another option that might be a good fit for betting on South Africa is the match-specific markets. Options like under 2.5 goals, both teams to score, and a draw at halftime can be solid choices. Just make sure to watch the line-ups carefully.
We also have to address the different player-focused markets. You can find things like clean sheets, shots on target, an anytime goal scorer and many others.
Lastly, we also believe that there will be many in-play betting opportunities. The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the biggest football event of the year, so all bookmakers will offer plenty of live betting opportunities.
Fan & Market Sentiment
If you know anything about sports in South Africa, you know that optimism among fans tends to spike before a major tournament. In this case, we will have a mixture of national pride, nostalgia for 2010 (when the World Cup was in SA), and a genuine belief in the team’s progress. While these things are good, people who want to place bets should remember that South Africa is one of the big underdogs.
With that said, we are almost sure that the international audience will price South Africa as one of the tournament’s underdogs. This gap between local fans’ expectations and other people creates a gap that can create a pocket of opportunities. Savvy bettors should definitely be on the lookout because they can be in for a treat.
Conclusion
Bafana Bafana will attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup as one of the underdogs, but not as bystanders. The qualification campaign has revealed that the team has the firepower and can deliver nasty surprises. Sadly, SA’s most recent performance at AFCON 2025 has not been its best, so this is something that people need to take into account.
