Stuart Baxter urges South Africans to keep up World Cup hope

Hugo Broos’ team needs to win their final Group C game at Mbombela Stadium and hope Nigeria beat Benin in Uyo, if they are to make it to the 2026 showpiece in North America.  

A negative outcome at either venue will be an especially bitter pill to swallow for all South Africans, considering the strong position the team was in a few weeks ago, and Baxter – speaking exclusively with SABC Sport from Sweden – says there’s no use crying over spilt milk. 

"I'm guessing that one of the battles the South African players and coaching staff is the disappointment of having to go through this, when it was looking so rosey," said Baxter.

"It will be a tough mental one to fight, but the truth is that it is like that and the why's and wherefores are not important at this moment, it's just to do whatever they can to get over the line, and I'm sure they will."

READ: Munetsi reveals Nigerian teammate pressure after Bafana blunder

The 72-year-old coach has urged all South Africans to not even entertain the idea of failing to qualify before the game is even played and boldly declared he believes the country will be celebrating by the end of the evening. 

"I don't think anybody should be thinking about not qualifying, I think everybody should be as focussed and positive as they can, and I think the coaches have done a marvellous job building towards this evening," he added.

"If a technicality hadn't been there, no one would have been mentioning anything else, and we'd be heading towards a very interesting time.

"I think the whole focus should be on getting this game out of the way, and then find out what everybody wants to do, whether the coaches want to continue or whether the association people should change there, or whether politicians should try to help more or whatever.

"All that will be after the events, and it may be [while] looking forward to a World Cup, and it may not be, but before going into the game, I think everybody has to look at each other in the eyes and say, we're going to give this 100 percent and do whatever we can.

"And I still believe that South Africa will go through."