Picture: Bafana Bafana players against Canada
By OBAKENG MAJE
29 June 2026 – The Minister of Sport, Art and Culture, Gayton McKenzie said it is with enormous pride and a heart full of gratitude that he congratulates Bafana Bafana on completing what has been the most ‘extraordinary’ chapter in the history of South African football. McKenzie said Bafana Bafana is knocked out and the pain of a late goal in Los Angeles will sting for a long time.
He further said, however, no result and final scoreline can take away what this team has given the country over the past three weeks. McKenzie added that 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 not a small thing. That is history that cannot be erased, written in the gold and green on the world stage in front of billions of people.
“I also want to take this moment to congratulate Canada on a well-deserved victory, and to extend the Ministry’s congratulations to all three host nations – the United States, Canada, and Mexico – for the outstanding manner in which they have staged this tournament. This has been a World Cup that has captured the imagination of the world and the hosts deserve enormous credit for that,” he said.
McKenzie said they have been made to feel at home in both Mexico and the USA, who opened their arms to South Africa and showed them great love. He said they will never forget it.
“The manner in which this team qualified made it even more remarkable. Written off after a 2–0 defeat to Mexico in the opening match, they showed character, resilience, and tactical intelligence to draw with Czechia and, in what many will rightly describe as one of the greatest nights in our football, beat South Korea 1–0 to book their place in the Round of 32.
“That victory, earned by Thapelo Maseko’s 63rd-minute strike, lifted South Africa from fourth to second place in the group and announced our arrival on the global knockout stage. I want to pay special tribute to coach Hugo Broos. When the final whistle blew against South Korea,” said McKenzie.
He said Broos collapsed to the turf as the bench flooded the pitch. McKenzie said that image captured his years of work, belief, sacrifice and love for this team and this country.
“Coach, you have earned your place in the history of South African sport. What you have built here is something that will endure long after this tournament. I must also pay tribute to the South African Football Association (SAFA) for its commitment to this campaign.
“Results like these are the fruit of sustained investment in players, coaching staff, and the development of the game. To Ronwen Williams, who led from the front and commanded the goalkeeper’s jersey with authority and calm. To Teboho Mokoena, whose penalty against Czechia proved nerve when it mattered most,” he said.
McKenzie said Bafana Bafana player Thapelo Maseko is a young man whose personal story of setback and comeback must inspire them all. He said at the FIFA World Cup, he scored the goal that made history.
“Every young person in South Africa who has been told they are finished and that their moment has passed must know your name and your story. To every player in our squad: South Africa sees you and we thank you. We are proud of each of you – not just for the moments of glory, but for the moments no one saw: the early mornings, the doubts you needed to overcome and the commitment to your country.
“The manner of our exit, so close to extra time, will always be painful. But this is sport, and the margins at the top level are small, and they are brutal. What we must take from this, and what the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture is committed to facilitating, is that the lessons from this campaign are properly captured, honestly assessed and used to build on what has been achieved,” said McKenzie.
The Guardian 