The pressure is squarely on South Africa’s shoulders, as only a win combined with a favourable result from Nigeria will be enough to secure qualification. Bafana must claim all three points, while in Uyo, the Super Eagles will need to overcome Group C leaders Benin. 

Nigeria still has a chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, and after missing out on the last edition in Qatar, they will certainly be fired up and won’t make it easy for Benin.

Williams said his team must back themselves against Amavubi in their quest to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 24 years.

Tuesday's Qualifier may be Hugo Broos's last before retiring as a coach. Photo: Morgan Piek

“Obviously, we were a bit down after the last game; we were devastated,” said Williams.

“But as the coach told us, we had 24 hours to clear that feeling from our system. If you had seen our training, you’d have seen the boys mean business.

“The coach emphasised this: why should we start doubting ourselves now? Yes, it was a setback, but we shouldn’t forget what we’ve achieved over the last few years. We’ve come a long way and done extremely well.”

“So, we don’t need to change much or have any doubts. We still believe in the team we have. There’s still everything to play for, and we believe we can make history tomorrow. You can feel it in the squad-the mindset is strong.

“Of course, we would have loved things to be different, but they aren’t. The boys know we have to dig deep, go again, and leave everything on the field on Tuesday night.”

Hugo Broos. Photo: Morgan Piek

Head coach Hugo Broos, who may be in charge of Bafana for the very last time, echoed Williams’ sentiments, expressing full faith in his players. Despite the goalless draw against the Warriors at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, Broos said luck, rather than performance, was the only thing missing.

“We are back mentally, and that is very important. The team’s qualities didn’t disappear with the draw against Zimbabwe. Mentally, we just had to recover and reset. And you can be sure, we’ve turned that switch. The mentality, team spirit, and belief are all back.”

“This team is amazing in that sense. After the setback on Friday, everyone was able to reset quickly and focus on the next job. I believe in this squad, and I’m confident that on Tuesday we will fight for the win. We’ll give it everything, and we have a big chance to come out on top.”

Tuesday night’s crucial qualifier between South Africa and Rwanda at the Mbombela Stadium kicks off at 18:00. 

At the same time, the Super Eagles will take on Les Guépards (the Cheetahs) in Uyo, while at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, Lesotho’s Likuena will face Zimbabwe in a Group C dead-rubber.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek  dg