Hugo Broos' side have become remarkably reliable.
Has Hugo Broos’ reign finally turned Bafana Bafana into a reliable bet?
There was a long period where betting on Bafana against any opposition was a risky business. From Sierra Leone, to Mauritania, to Sudan to the Cape Verde Islands, Bafana gave the impression of a side constantly on the brink of falling apart.
Under Broos, however, Bafana do seem like a different beast. They rarely lose at all, either to opponents they are expected to beat, or opponents that they are not expected to beat.
In their Group C qualifying campaign for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, up to now, Bafana did lose away to Rwanda.
While this wasn’t the best result, the pitch in Rwanda was a mess, and the home side simply adapted better.
Since then, Bafana have performed so well in Group C that they have opened up a five-point lead at the top.
This puts them in a fantastic position to qualify for next year’s tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico. There is the caveat of a possible three-point deduction from Fifa for fielding an ineligible player – Teboho Mokoena – against Lesotho in March.
This administrative bungle could yet cost Bafana dear, especially as Lesotho are certainly a side Bafana could beat with or without Mokoena.
Lesotho are Bafana’s opponents again on Friday, as the two teams meet in a Fifa World Cup qualifier at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.
The game is technically Lesotho’s home game, but is being played in the Free State because Dikwena do not have a stadium in their country that meets Fifa requirements.
This is another plus for Bafana in their World Cup campaign – they are set to play Zimbabwe in South Africa next month for the same reason.
Even quite a lengthy injury list, Bafana should have far too much for Lesotho on Friday.
It is no surprise that this is reflected in Betway’s latest odds, with South Africa at 1.26, a draw at 4.80 and Lesotho at 13.00.
Expect Bafana to win in Bloemfontein though perhaps not by too heavy a scoreline, with Lesotho probably keeping it tight and looking to score one on the break.
Please note that all Betway odds are correct at the time of writing and subject to change.
