Next, our Fantasy FIFA World Cup 2026 team preview series focuses on South Africa.
South Africa return to the World Cup stage for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010, and carry renewed belief that Bafana Bafana are finally moving back towards the top level of African football.
Qualification was not straightforward, with administrative errors and off-field drama threatening to derail their campaign, but the resilience shown throughout the group underlined the progress this side has made in recent years.
In these country-by-country guides, we’ll be looking at the best players from each nation, reviewing the road to the World Cup and more.
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SQUAD
THE ROAD TO QUALIFICATION
Qualification looked strong on paper, with South Africa seeing off the likes of Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Benin. They also managed back-to-back draws against Nigeria, which looks even more impressive considering the quality within the Nigerian squad and their deep AFCON run.
However, an administrative error overshadowed part of the campaign. A 2-0 win over Lesotho was later turned into a forfeit, which proved costly, although it ultimately did not affect South Africa’s qualification success.
South Africa had a fairly solid qualifying campaign from an attacking perspective. However, they still ranked outside the top six African sides for goals scored.
They ranked even lower for xG (expected goals), which is somewhat concerning. It also suggests they were not particularly unlucky in front of goal.
Above: African teams ranked by xG and xG conceded in qualification
Bafana Bafana were not especially convincing from a defensive perspective either, although they did keep clean sheets in five of their last six qualification games.
BIGGEST GOAL THREATS IN QUALIFICATION
Only two South African players scored twice during qualifying. One of them was winger and in-game forward Oswin Appollis ($4.9m). The other was the more recognisable Lyle Foster ($5.4m). Both players also recorded double figures for total shots.
Meanwhile, Percy Tau, who has been hugely influential for South Africa in recent years, also scored during qualifying but failed to make the final World Cup squad.
Central midfielder Teboho Mokoena ($4.3m) produced more shots than any of his teammates during qualifying. However, his average of just 0.04 xG per shot shows that most of those efforts posed very little threat to the opposition.
Three were direct free-kicks.
MOST CREATIVE PLAYERS IN QUALIFYING
Appollis was comfortably South Africa’s most creative player during qualification. Alongside four assists, he also produced 19 key passes, helped further by his set-piece duties.
No player came close to matching his key pass tally, although Tau showed why he could be a major miss after registering 10 key passes himself. Mokoena also came close to that mark with nine.
Although less creative than some of the other names, Foster ranked second best in the squad for xG assisted with 0.83.
SINCE QUALIFICATION
AFCON 2025/26
| Date | Opposition | Result | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22/12/25 | Angola | 2-1 (W) | Appollis, Foster | Foster, Moremi |
| 26/12/25 | Egypt | 0-1 (L) | – | – |
| 29/12/25 | Zimbabwe | 3-2 (W) | Moremi, Foster, Appollis | Foster |
| 04/01/26 | Cameroon | 1-2 (L) | Makgopa | Modiba |
It was not an entirely convincing campaign from Bafana Bafana. Wins against Angola and Zimbabwe were expected, but defeats to Egypt in the group stage and Cameroon in the Round of 16 showed they were not quite ready to compete with Africa’s biggest powerhouses.
FRIENDLIES
| Date | Opposition | Result | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27/03/26 | Panama | 1-1 (D) | Appollis | Mudau |
| 31/03/26 | Panama | 1-2 (L) | Mbokazi | Zwane |
| 29/05/26 | Nicaragua | 0-0 (D) | – | – |
| 06/06/26 | Jamaica | 1-1 (D) | Appollis | – |
Things have not gone to plan for South Africa since their recent AFCON campaign either. They failed to register a single win, even with back-to-back matches against Panama and a struggling Nicaragua side, which raises plenty of question marks heading into the World Cup.
WORLD CUP FIXTURES
Although their current form does not generate much excitement around their assets, South Africa are involved in one of the more even groups.
Round 1 sees them face hosts Mexico, who have also struggled to convince recently. A similar argument could be made for Czechia and Korea Republic, despite both sides picking up some positive results in recent matches.
While it’s a group they could feasibly escape from, Bafana Bafana are still the bookies’ outsiders.
TOP PICKS
Considering his budget-friendly price tag, Aubrey Modiba ($3.7m) could be a solid option.
He registered assists during qualifying and the recent AFCON tournament, could take the odd corner and is fond of a direct free-kick attempt.
When factoring in his eligibility for Scouting Bonus points, he could offer multiple routes to returns.
One player in particular remains central to the Bafana Bafana attack.
Appollis scored twice during South Africa’s most recent AFCON campaign and, as highlighted earlier, played a huge role in both goals and assists throughout qualifying.
That form continued into recent friendlies, where he scored twice across four matches. No teammate has created more chances (nine) or had more shots (seven) in this year’s four warm-up games.
His appeal also increases further due to his corner and free-kick duties. He might also be on penalties, having scored from the spot in AFCON. Foster stepped up in the May friendly against Nicaragua but he missed, and Appollis wasn’t on the field at the time.
South Africa have two forwards who are regularly involved in their goals, and Lyle Foster ($5.4m) is the other player worth considering. Unlike Appollis, who often operates out wide, Foster is used through the middle.
As well as proving his value during qualifying, Foster played an even more prominent attacking role at AFCON, scoring twice and providing two assists in just four appearances.
