South Africa
South Africa return to football's biggest stage for the first time since hosting in 2010, ending a 16-year drought. Hugo Broos, the Belgian who delivered Cameroon's 2017 Africa Cup of Nations title, has built a disciplined Bafana Bafana side around goalkeeper Ronwen Williams — heroic in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations bronze run. Up front, Lyle Foster (Burnley) and Percy Tau provide pace; Themba Zwane orchestrates from midfield. Group A throws South Africa against Mexico, South Korea and Czechia — three opponents who all rank higher historically. Survival of the group stage is the realistic ambition; a knockout-round match would already be a generational achievement.
Upcoming matches
Group A standings
| # | Teams | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | South Africa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | South Korea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Czechia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |