Pretoria: Cabinet has lauded South Africa's men's football team, Bafana Bafana, for their performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup held in Mexico, Canada, and the United States of America. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who conducted the post-Cabinet media briefing on Friday afternoon, congratulated the national squad on behalf of the executive.
According to South African Government News Agency, the team played four games at the tournament, including the opening match against the Mexico national team. They progressed to the second round of games, making history in the process. Cabinet joined the nation in congratulating Bafana Bafana on their performance, which saw the team progressing to the Round-of-32 for the first time since South Africa's 1998 World Cup debut. Bafana Bafana also displayed competitive football against Canada in the round of 32 where they lost to a stoppage time goal. The team received a hero's welcome at OR Tambo International earlier this week after their defeat in the knockout game against Canada.
The team's efforts were not the only achievements celebrated by Cabinet. Congratulations were extended to several South African athletes for their accomplishments: cricketer Temba Bavuma for being named among the TIME100 Most Influential Sports People of 2026; Bayanda Walaza for winning the Men's 100m at the Ostrava Golden Spike in Czechia; Akani Simbine for winning the Men's 100m race at the FBK Games in the Netherlands; Prudence Sekgodiso for becoming the first South African woman to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China; the Proteas Women for reaching the semi-finals of the T20 Women's World Cup; the Junior Springboks for their victory against Uruguay in the World Rugby Junior World Championship; Bradley Nkoana for breaking the 10-second barrier over 100m; and George Kusche and Gerda Steyn for winning the 2026 men's and women's Comrades Marathon respectively.
Minister Ntshavheni concluded by commending the national teams and athletes for their role in uniting and inspiring the nation, saying, "We want to commend our national teams, our sportsmen and women for continuing to build and bring this nation together, making sure they remind us what we are. We are South Africans."
