South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has admitted that Bafana Bafana’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are now hanging by a thread following their goalless draw against Zimbabwe in Durban on Friday night.

The result leaves South Africa’s qualification chances dependent on Nigeria’s performance against Benin Republic in Uyo on Tuesday.

According to reports, the draw puts South Africa on 15 points, two behind Group C leaders Benin Republic (17 points) and just one ahead of Nigeria (14 points). With only the group winner guaranteed automatic qualification for the World Cup, Broos and his squad face a tense final matchday.

“It’s still possible, but it becomes more difficult than today,” Broos said after the match. “We have to go into that last game believing that maybe, with a little miracle on Tuesday, we can still qualify.”

The Belgian coach emphasized the importance of staying focused, urging his players to give everything in their final match against Rwanda in Mbombela on Tuesday.

“Even if we win our game, we still need something to go our way in Nigeria. If the result is positive—with Nigeria beating Benin—we still have a chance to qualify,” he said.

Broos noted that Nigeria’s own qualification battle could work in South Africa’s favor. Sitting three points behind Benin with an inferior goal difference, the Super Eagles must win convincingly in Uyo to stand a chance of topping the group.

“It’s a good thing that Nigeria can still be first,” Broos explained. “They have to beat Benin in the last game. The biggest danger is Benin. If we win, fine—Nigeria can’t overtake us. But if we don’t win and Benin lose, then goal difference between them and Nigeria will decide the group.”

The 73-year-old tactician acknowledged the difficult position his team is in but maintained that hope is not lost.

“It would be really disappointing if Nigeria wins and we fail to beat Rwanda, missing the World Cup because of that,” he said. “It’s a sad evening, but there’s still hope. We have to grab the big opportunity we still have on Tuesday.”

South Africa’s qualification bid suffered a major setback earlier this month when FIFA docked them three points for fielding an ineligible player—midfielder Teboho Mokoena—in their March victory over Lesotho, which was overturned to a 3-0 defeat.

“That deduction hurt us badly,” Broos admitted. “It’s disappointing because those three points would have put us in a much stronger position. Now we have to rely on others.”

Despite the frustration, Broos remains determined to finish strong and keep South Africa’s World Cup dream alive until the very end.

“It’s not 100 percent over—it can still happen,” he said. “What happens in the Nigeria–Benin match will be very important. But the key for us is simple: win our game first, then see how things unfold.”

The South African team departed Durban for Mbombela on Saturday to begin final preparations for their must-win clash against Rwanda. They will be without defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who was sent off late in the draw with Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, both Nigeria and Benin Republic have already arrived in Uyo ahead of their decisive Group C showdown on Tuesday.