The Hugo Broos Effect: South Africa Falling In Love With Bafana Bafana Over And Over Again

Thanks to the astute guidance of coach Hugo Broos, Bafana Bafana has undergone a remarkable transformation and once again packed out the stadium at the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier match against Lesotho on Friday.

Afterwards, Broos said the Peter Mokaba Stadium crowd had provided his team with a lift in a difficult contest, which they eventually won 2-0. Broos has bravely blooded a few young stars who have stepped up to the plate and delivered outstanding performances on the international front, none more so than Relebohile Mofokeng, the 'Player-of-the-Match', who broke the stalemate early in the second half.

Player ratings for Bafana Bafanas run-on XI:

He was called on to make one save in the match after Lesotho managed one shot on target. The match would have been an ideal warm-up for Tuesday's clash against Benin in Ivory Coast.

He produced a few overlapping runs from the right-back berth, but it did not prove penetrative, especially in the first half, when Bafana Bafana was up against a low block. He was effective at his primary task of thwarting opposition attacks.