After dropping off the top of their Africa 2026 FIFA World Cup group standings, there is a lingering feeling that calculators would be needed for Bafana Bafana after all. Soccer Laduma looks at the prospects of an alternative qualifying route for Hugo Broos' charges.
South Africans looked forward in excitement for Bafana's second game in Group C after they won their opener against Benin, the first time in 19 years that they had won their opening game in a World Cup qualifier.
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What made the excitement grow was the fact that main rivals Nigeria and Zimbabwe dropped points in two successive matches and Broos' men had a big chance to take control of the group and steer four points clear of the Super Eagles and the Warriors with maximum points.
However, Bafana suffered a shock 2-0 loss to Rwanda and dropped down to second in the section with three points, one point behind Amavubi.
Despite having 10 slots for the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, the African block is still one of the most difficult to qualify from, as only the top teams in the nine groups qualify automatically after the final round-robin matchdays between 6 and 14 October 2025.
From there, only one spot will be up for grabs to make it to the World Cup, as the best four runners-up across the nine groups will play two once-off semi-finals and a final. Then the winner will go to the FIFA Play-off tournament.
The CAF Play-off tournament will take place between 10-18 November 2025, where the winner will be among six nations in the FIFA Play-off tournament, with two countries set to qualify for the tournament proper.
On their official website CAF explains how second-placed African nations can still qualify for the World Cup:
The FIFA Play-off tournament will involve one team apiece from CAF, AFC, CONMEBOL and OFC and two teams from CONCACAF.
The four lowest-ranked nations will meet in bracket semi-finals and the two highest-ranked nations will go directly into the finals.
The winners of the two bracket finals will reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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