South Africa’s national football team has been inundated with messages of praise following their elimination in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
Bafana Bafana suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to co-hosts Canada after a spirited performance, bringing to an end a remarkable campaign in which they reached the knockout stages for the first time in the nation’s history.
The South African government said the team’s achievement had made not only the country but the entire Southern African Development Community (SADC) region proud.
“The nation remains immensely proud of what the team has achieved. For the first time in South Africa’s history, Bafana Bafana reached the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup, inspiring millions of South Africans and making the Southern African region proud,” Deputy Government Spokesperson William Baloyi said in a statement.
South Africa was the only SADC nation to progress to the World Cup and, alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, ensured the region had two representatives at the tournament for the first time. Both teams reached the knockout stages as part of a record nine African nations competing at the expanded World Cup, with Tunisia the only African side to be eliminated in the group stage.
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, who travelled with the team to North America, said the players had etched their names into South African football history despite the heartbreak of defeat.
“Yes, we are knocked out. Yes, the pain of a late goal in Los Angeles will sting for a long time. But no result and no final scoreline can take away what this team has given our country over the past three weeks.
“Bafana Bafana reached the knockout rounds of a FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history. In their fourth World Cup appearance, after exits in 1998, 2002 and on home soil in 2010, these young men did what no South African team has ever done before.
“They made it through, and that is no small achievement. It is history that cannot be erased, written in gold and green on the world stage in front of billions of people.”