Orlando Pirates have been a huge factor in Bafana Bafana’s World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign. The Buccaneers were decisive against Rwanda.
Pirates players scored all three goals as South Africa comfortably saw off the Rwandans 3-0.
Sea Robbers stars will again be at the centre of Hugo Broos’ mind when he picks a 26-man final squad.
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Orlando Pirates trio score for Bafana Bafana
Thalente Mbatha, Oswin Appollis and Evidence Makgopa scored as South Africa beat Rwanda to claim a place at the World Cup 2026. Pirates duo Sipho Chaine and Tshepang Moremi didn’t feature off the bench in the 3-0 win. That result, coupled with a 4-0 win for Nigeria over Benin, sealed the deal for Hugo Broos’ men. Former Napoli marksman Osimhen, who won the Capocannoniere award in Serie A in 2024, is now with Galatasaray and bagged a crucial hat-trick for the Super Eagles. Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka grabbed the other goal.
This will be South Africa’s first appearance at a World Cup finals since 2010.
Buccaneers soar in World Cup 2026 qualifying
Meanwhile, Orlando Pirates players have scored Bafana’s last four goals (excluding the own goal by William Troost-Ekong in a 1-1 draw with Nigeria), including Appollis’ icing-on-the-cake strike against Lesotho back in September as Bafana claimed a solid 3-0 away win. The other goals on that evening were scored by players with strong Pirates connections; ex-Sea Robbers Mohau Nkota and Lyle Foster.