Former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has admitted that South Africa deserved to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Bafana Bafana topped their qualifying group, which also featured Nigeria, to secure a place at the global showpiece for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010.
The Super Eagles, on the other hand, missed out on qualification for a second consecutive World Cup after losing to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the final round of the African playoffs.
Troost-Ekong Backs Bafana Bafana
Troost-Ekong acknowledged that South Africa earned their ticket to the tournament through greater consistency during the qualifying campaign.
Read Also:World Cup 2026: Troost-Ekong Backs Ghana To Earn Point Against England
“Bafana were consistent in the qualifiers, and we were playing catch-up from the first game, and we dropped a lot of points, so at the end they qualified and we didn’t. So, they deserve to be at the World Cup,” the centre-back told Supersport.
| Result | 1xBet Odds | 1xBet |
|---|---|---|
|
South Africa
|
6.02 | 1xbet |
|
XDraw |
4.02 | 1xbet |
 Korea Republic |
1.665 | 1xbet |
View tips
South Korea to score first
South Africa conceded first in 3 of their last 4 home matches.
South Africa under 1.5 goals
South Africa scored less than 1.5 goals in 6 of the last 10 home matches.
South Africa over 0.5 goals
South Africa scored more than 0.5 goals in 9 of the last 10 home matches.
Crunch South Korea Test
Bafana Bafana began their campaign at the ongoing World Cup with a disappointing 2-0 defeat to co-hosts Mexico before battling to a 1-1 draw against Czechia in their second Group A match.
The former African champions must now beat South Korea in their final group game at the Estadio Monterrey in Mexico on Thursday to secure a place in the Round of 32.
Troost-Ekong believed it will be a difficult task for South Africa especially without suspended duo Themba Zwane and Teboho Mokoena.
“It’s going to be challenging for Bafana, especially because they will be missing some players due to suspension. It’s going to be a huge pressure game. They were a lot better against Czechia, but it won’t be easy for them to beat Korea,” added Troost-Ekong.
By Adeboye Amosu
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