Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has warned against underestimating Lesotho in Friday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Bafana are second in Group C with seven points from four matches while Likwena are fourth with five points from the same number of games.
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South Africa are ranked 57 in the world while Lesotho are 149 and Bafana enter the game as favourites based on the quality of players. Broos notes the differences in the teams, however, still cautioned his side, citing recent results between bigger sides and so called minnows in the qualifiers as examples of how quickly things can go south if one doesn’t respect their opponent.
“It becomes a habit here in Africa that you’re never sure about a victory before the game,” said Broos in press conference in Polokwane on Thursday.
“We saw it yesterday Cameroon against Eswatini 0-0. Tomorrow we have an opponent that we don’t have to underestimate because they played in September against Morocco they lost 1-0 in the 93rd minute.
“They [Lesotho] played more than a year ago in Nigeria they played 0-0. So that means that we are in front of a tough game tomorrow.
“At the other side I think we have to be confident in our own qualities. We showed that last year. I think we can talk about maybe even a historical year with the bronze medal and good games qualification for the next AFCON.
“But today this is all history. We don’t have to count on gifts from other teams. We have to do it ourselves starting with tomorrow. I think it’s very important for tomorrow that we keep ourselves on the game plan. It will not be easy from the beginning.
“Maybe, yes, if you are a little bit lucky, you can score very quick and easily, one or two goals, it becomes another game. But I don’t think it will be like that tomorrow, we are in front of an opponent who fights for every meter, who fights for every ball.
“Maybe they don’t have our qualities, I’ll talk about football technical qualities but they have a fantastic mentality. And that’s up to us to have the same mentality, the right mind-set from the beginning of the game, and even when the game is not going like we expected we have to keep ourselves at game plan, because if we start doubting and a little bit what Cameron did in the last 20 minutes, I think, kicking the ball in front and much of the of the games you don’t achieve what you want.
“So trying to keep ourselves in game plan with the right mentality, the right mind-set from beginning, and then I think we can win against Lesotho. It should be a little disaster if you don’t win again tomorrow.
“We have to keep ourselves in the same position that we are now. With three points tomorrow, we can go to Benin for another three points.”
