Hunt Hails Bafana’s Historic FIFA World Cup Qualification

Durban City coach Gavin Hunt has congratulated Bafana Bafana on their historic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying it’s a fantastic achievement that will bring joy to the entire nation. 

Bafana Bafana made history on Tuesday by beating Rwanda 3-0 at Mbombela Stadium, booking their ticket to the World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

This marks a significant milestone for South African football, with the national team returning to the World Cup for the first time in 15 years, and the first time through qualifications in over two decades. 

The last time Bafana played in the World Cup was in 2010 as the host nation, and before that, they qualified in 2002 when the tournament was co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.

Hunt praised the team’s achievement, saying, “Fantastic, it’s a great achievement and everybody should be happy, and I’m happy.” 

He added, “When you look at our national team and also our local league, the spotlight is good. Well done to Hugo Broos and all the technical team, as well as everybody behind the scenes, and also the players.”

The former Kaizer Chiefs mentor also emphasized the importance of the national team competing in major tournaments.

“It’s important for us to be in these tournaments, qualify every four years and also every two years in AFCON. So, well done, let’s hope we’ll get a good draw in the first week of December,” he stated.

Bafana Bafana’s qualification for the World Cup is a testament to the team’s hard work and dedication under the guidance of Belgian coach Broos, who also helped the team qualify for the AFCON twice and won Bronze medals in their first AFCON under his guidance in 2024. 

With the World Cup qualifications concluded, the 1996 African champions will now shift their focus to the AFCON, which will be held in Morocco from December 2025 to January 2026.