Shaun Bartlett lays down 2026 FIFA World Cup gauntlet for Mohau Nkota

Bartlett, who is the second all-time leading national team goal scorer with 29 goals, believes the current team has all the qualities to impress in North America next year. 

The 53-year-old remains the only player from Mzansi to have scored a brace at the World Cup – vs Saudi Arabia in 1998 – and has told SABC Sport that Nkota is one current player capable of emulating that feat. 

"I gave Mohau Nkota the challenge – I said to them, 'Listen, I stopped playing 20 years ago and I'm still second all-time leading goalscorer, I want you to break that record and I want you to score two goals in a World Cup, and he's taken the challenge," said Bartlett.

"So Mohau knows exactly what he needs to do – the first game, maybe even possible against Mexico, it's a repeat of 2010 and hopefully we can do the same.

"We also get Denmark if they go all the way [in the playoffs] and make the group stage, so there's quite a few repeats but I think our boys have done well over the last two years and they must take that confidence into the World Cup."

READ: Mexico offers perfect World Cup stimulus - Ronwen Williams

Bafana were drawn in Group A, alongside co-hosts Mexico, South Korea, and the UEFA play-off winner between Denmark, North Macedonia, Ireland, or Czech Republic.  

They play the first game against the Mexicans at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on 11 June next year, and Bartlett says that’s the most important game.

"We've shown also we can go away from home and get results, and I think that's important – the boys shouldn't be overwhelmed playing the hosts," he added.

"It will be tough, there's no doubt about it, but I think our boys are more than equipped to get a positive result – we need a positive result in the first game.

"Everybody wants to get to the knockout stages but the first game is the most important to build on from to see how far we can go."