On the Mark with Mark Gleeson

The last week of qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations finals will hopefully flow smoother than the preceding two windows as Bafana Bafana have made the task of earning a spot at the 2025 finals in Morocco tougher than expected.

They had to scramble in stoppage-time goals in their opening two matches in September to avoid a disastrous start, but even after hammering Congo 5-0 in Gqeberha last month are still not assured of advancing to next year’s tournament.

Uganda still top Group K by two points from second-placed South Africa and a draw will see them qualify.

South Africa can make sure with an away win in Kampala in their penultimate group fixture on Friday, which would not only see them book their tickets to Morocco but also see them leapfrog Uganda to the top of the standings.

This is potentially important for the seedings when the draw for the 24-team finals is conducted.

Should Bafana fail in Uganda on Friday, then they can still make sure with a home win over lowly South Sudan in Cape Town next Tuesday, but they will not want to leave it up to the last fixture.

There have been too many calamitous results from similar situations in the past to want to chance it.

South Africa also need a sharp showing in their last two Cup of Nations qualifiers to put them in the right frame for the resumption of the 2026 World Cup preliminaries.

It is a big 2025 ahead on the international front with not only the conclusion of the World Cup qualifiers, but also Mamelodi Sundowns’ participation in the Club World Cup and the Cup of Nations in Morocco, which kicks off on December 18, 2025. So much for Christmas at home!

But we won’t mind if South Africa are, by then, not only qualified for the World Cup but also one of the form sides chasing the African crown.

It has been heartening to see the massive lift that Bafana’s performance at the last finals in the Ivory Coast at the start of this year gave to the domestic game. Crowds are up, interest heightened, with the feel-good factor returning to the game.

Of course, much more is still needed, particularly commercial interest from the corporate world. Bafana success will see those sponsorships return because, as we see with the Springboks, everyone loves a winner.