Broos pleased as Bafana pick up vital World Cup points

Bafana Bafana Hugo Broos hailed an ‘important’ victory after his side beat Lesotho 2-0 in a 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Friday. 

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Bafana took just over an hour to get past Dikwena, but they got the result that moves them two points clear at the top of Group C. Only the group winners are guaranteed a place at the World Cup next year in the USA, Canada and Mexico. 

Bafana’s Broos – ‘We knew it would be a tough game’

“It was very important today that we got the three points,” Broos told SABC Sport after the match. 

“Knew it would be a tough game and we played a team that didn’t want to lose. 

“We had four good chances in the first half and didn’t score. We corrected some things and started the second half very well. … immediately put them under pressure. Once the first goal went in (Relebohile Mofokeng scored his first goal for Bafana in his first start) we had done the most difficult bit. 

“It (the first goal) was a bit late but most important is the victory and the three points,” 

Broos made several changes at the end of the match that he says was to give players a bit of rest ahead of the next qualifier against Benin in the Ivory Coast on Tuesday. 

‘You try to give players rest’

“At the moment when the result is there, you have to take into account that you need to choose another team for a hard game, and you try to give players rest,” added the Bafana coach. 

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“Tebogo (Mokoena) has already played all the games for Sundowns this season. That is why we changed him and other players. We need to be ready on Tuesday when we will have another tough game.”