Exclusive: Thabo Nthethe Beams with Pride as Bafana End 16-Year World Cup Drought

Former Banana Banana defender Thabo Nthethe is proud that South Africa qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time in over two decades following Bafana’s 3-0 thrashing of Rwanda on Tuesday night at Mbombela Stadium.

What it means

Fifteen years have passed since South Africa last made an appearance at the FIFA World Cup.

At home, in 2010, during an edition of the showpiece event that many regard as the best of the 21st century, Banana turned up for the last time.

That edition handed South Africa one of the best footballing memories. From Siphiwe Tshabalala’s screamer to get the World Cup campaign underway to the 2-1 victory against France at the Free State Stadium.

The country was filled with joy, as the whole world assembled in South Africa to not only compete for the coveted trophy, but also to experience the culture of this great nation.

On Tuesday, a similar feeling swept the South Africans all around the country as Bafana thrashed Rwanda 3-0 at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, thus booking a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Former Banana defender, Thabo Nthethe, told SportsBoom.co.za that he is proud of what the team has achieved.

Nthethe was so proud after the game on Tuesday night that parts of him wondered how it would feel to be part of the team at this moment.

“I felt like I could come back now to be part of this team. This is history, and the nation is so happy,” Nthethe told SportsBoom.co.za, chuckling at the unrealistic thought of reversing retirement.

“I’ve been seeing the messages on social media as well. When I woke up this morning, I asked myself, the boys, when they woke up this morning, the feeling, I know the feeling, you're so proud. You're so proud of your family, your friends, and the nation as a whole."

“This means a lot because it's been years without us qualifying. We only played in a World Cup where we were the host in 2010. And after that, I mean, we’ve never even come close. But now, automatically, we qualified; this is great."

“The boys have been doing well, and they've been taking their chances, especially goals. We've been scoring goals. So this is what I actually think has changed. We've been winning games."

“The boys showed hunger. The mentality was that whoever plays, make sure that the team and the nation go forward. I'm so proud."

“This will motivate them to do better and not to go to the World Cup next year just to add numbers, but to compete with the big teams in the world.”

The victory against Rwanda

South Africa opened their account pretty quickly on Tuesday night, with Thalente Mbatha opening his account with a dreamer of a goal.

Oswin Apollis followed suit with a strike with a similar venom, as the forwards left the Rwandan goalkeeper clueless in front of the goal posts.

Evidence Makgopa slotted in the third goal, scoring a header off an Apollis corner, taking the game further away from the visitors and sealing South Africa’s ticket to North America for the World Cup.

Nthethe told SportsBoom.co.za that South Africa were not challenged by Rwanda and that they dictated terms from the first whistle.

“Coming to the game, it was wonderful. You could see from the back, there was no threat from the back. Coming to the middle, there was a lot of confidence as well,” said Nthethe. 

“When we kept the ball, trying to suck them in to come, they were not coming because I think they were aware that we wanted to get behind them. So, they were not taking any chances. They ended up trying to sit, but we needed to penetrate and get a win."

“The boys knew that we needed to score goals, and it came when they gave Mbatha space. I think the opponents didn't know Mbatha that much, that he's got a powerful right foot. So, they gave him that space, and he caught it clean; it went straight to the keeper and to the back of the net."

“That goal that came in early, it gave the boys confidence to say, ‘guys, we can do it’. So, that's when they started playing. The first goal actually made things easier for us to get the second and the third.”

Bafana have qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in over two decades, having last done so in 2002.