By Thebe Mabanga
As Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos sets out to write the final chapter of his chequered but largely successful five-year tenure, he has chosen to use a mixture of pragmatism and loyalty to key players to ensure that he goes out on a high.
The departure to North America was marred by drama over visa delays for the squad as well as the bad optics of humiliating the six players who did not make the final cut, who were subjected to the humiliation of discovering with the rest of the country that they did not make the cut.
On Saturday evening, Bafana Bafana will play Jamaica behind closed doors at the Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca, Mexico, in their final preparatory match.
Bafana Bafana then open their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca stadium, site of the 1986 World Cup Final, on the 11th of June, 16 years to the day the two sides met at the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg.
Broos himself played in a World Cup in Mexico for his native Belgium 40 years ago.
He will come full circle.
The mood around the team is heavy with an air of cautious optimism but also fear of failure.
It is as if the team is haunted by their disappointing exit at the Round of 16 to Cameroon at this year’s AFCON rather than being reminded that they were bronze medallists at the 2023 edition of the competition.
This could be partly because Broos packed his final squad of 26 with 11 defenders and only four specialist midfielders.
Even if you allow that two of the defenders can be used as wingbacks, this still feels conservative.
If one midfielder pucks up an injury, and another struggles to adapt to the heat and altitude, Broos will be left with two specialist midfielders to carry the team through at least two weeks, or longer if Bafana progress.
Broos will use the Jamaica friendly to nail down key positions, starting with who partners Mbekezeli Mbokazi in the heart of defence and who backs up Lyle Foster as source of goals.
Foster has gone blunt as a goal threat after a decent showing at AFCON.
A player who has raised his hand as a leader on the field with a ‘big occasion’ temperament is Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena.
His performance across both legs of the CAF Champions Leage Final, his expertly taken goal and his celebration to match the energy of a hostile crowd makes him worthy of consideration to be captain.
A player that Broos has chosen out of loyalty is Themba Zwane.
The 36-year-old Mamelodi Sundowns stalwart has reached the end of the road following distinguished service for club and country over the past 15 years.
This past season he has only made 15 appearances for Sundowns, most as substitute.
During the CAF Champions League Final in Rabat, Morocco, he was introduced in the dying minutes as a symbolic gesture at the behest of teammates before lifting the trophy.
Broos should have used the send-off dinner to thank him for the 21 of his 50 caps that he played under him and carrying the team as creative force.
Broos himself has admitted that Zwane is not selected to play 90 minutes.
He seems chosen out of loyalty of national coaches and maybe leadership qualities.
Broos has managed to diversify the squad beyond the Orlando Pirates and Sundowns core that took him through the qualifiers and for which he was criticised for over dependence.
The talented Relebohile Mofokeng, the future of South African football if developed correctly, as well as teammates and fellow attackers Aswin Appollis and Tshepang Moremi are now joined by the likes of Olwethu Makhanya, who plays for Philadelphia Union in the United Sates, Thabang Matuludi of Polokwane City and Samukele Kabini of Molde in Norway.
Former Orlando Pirates star Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who now plays for Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire FC in Chicago, US, will have some familiarity with the conditions and is an established member of the team.
What Broos must avoid is the rigidity and limited options in both personnel and tactics that he found himself stuck with at Afcon, where Bafana were knocked out by Cameroon in the round of 16.
Broos must appreciate that having re acquainted local fans with success by claiming bronze medal at the 2023 AFCON and qualifying the country for a World Cup for the first time since 2002 in Japan and South Korea, success at this World Cup would be to reach even the first round of the knockout stages.
To achieve that South Africa, who are currently ranked 60th in the world and 10th in Africa on FIFA rankings, would have to emerge from a group that comprises Mexico, who are ranked 15th, Czechia or Czech Republic, who are ranked 41st and South Korea, wo are ranked a respectable 25th.
Bafana’s task is to ensure that South Africans have an incentive to wake up at 3am on June 25th to watch them take on South Korea in Monterey, Mexico, in the final group game.
That means collecting at least a draw or ideally a victory in one of their preceding two matches.
Even with their high ranking, Bafana should have the beating of South Korea.
At the Fifa Club World Cup, Sundowns beat South Korean Side Usan in a game they control to show what they can do against Asian opposition.
Broos needs to play with confidence while ensuring that Bafana arrive with something to play for.
Czechia, qualifying for the first time since 2006, will be a tough proposition.
The good thing for South Africa is that, on paper, the opening game will be the toughest and if they survive that with a draw or narrow defeat, they will have set the tone for the tournament.
Bafana’s last match before departure, a 0-0 draw against Nicaragua, ranked 131st, gave little clues about the team’s final shape and included a penalty miss from Foster.
Bradely Cross, Kamogelo Sebelebele and Apollis when he came on, gave hope with flickers of hunger and brilliance.
Overall, the squad misses an element of speed and surprise, you don’t get a sense of a Plan B if things do not work out at a critical stage in a crucial game.
That might be the dead end at which Broos tenure ends.
The final measure of Broos success and legacy is whether he can influence succession and allow for continuity by having his assistant Helman Mkhalele succeed him.
If the World Cup campaign is deemed a success, Helman Mkhalele is likely to take over on a permanent basis.
But if it ends in spectacular failure – compounding Africa Cup of Nations disappointment – he is unlikely even to get an interview, as calls would grow for wholesale changes and a fresh start ahead of the next four-year cycle.
Bafana Bafana’s final World Cup warm-up match against Jamaica will take place on Saturday, 6 June 2026.
Kick-off is at 23:00 SA time (15:00 local time in Mexico).
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