South African football fans took to the streets in the early hours of Thursday, honking vuvuzelas and singing in celebration at Bafana Bafana's first-ever qualification for the World Cup knockout rounds.
Playing in a World Cup for the first time since they hosted it in 2010, the team shocked South Korea 1-0 on Wednesday to secure progression, which had seemed unlikely after they lost their opening group stage match 2-0 to co-hosts Mexico.
As the match ended at around 5:00 am local time, scores of people headed out into the streets – many in their pyjamas – to chant, dance and blow long plastic vuvuzela horns.
This is what it means for us, Bafana Bafana made us proud. 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦 #FIFAWorldCup #BafanaPride #FWC2026 pic.twitter.com/oSgWiUS0vy
— ®️ E L E (@ReleGlo) June 25, 2026
South African university students celebrate in Johannesburg, after Bafana Bafana qualified for the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. pic.twitter.com/J04ofCer5X
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) June 25, 2026
Beautiful scenes as South Africans jubilate on the streets after they qualified for the 2026 fifa world cup knockout rounds
— World Cup (@Worldcuphive) June 25, 2026
Congratulations to the Bafana Bafana 🇿🇦👏 pic.twitter.com/ARBd5NeZhu
Soweto resident Nandi Ntini told AFP that she was woken up by vuvuzelas and fireworks.
"There were fireworks outside and the celebration went on for more than an hour after the game," she said.
"We are proudly South African, and this is our Cup. We have started it and we will finish it," said a fan in Johannesburg's Soweto area in a video posted online.
"We love and support Bafana Bafana," said another fan, wearing a scarf in the colours of the South African flag around his neck as crowds of people celebrated in the street behind him.
Other social media posts showed women dancing in their dressing gowns in a Soweto street as people sang "Shosholoza", a Zulu chant meaning "go forward" that South Africans often sing at sporting events.
🇿🇦 Madrugada en Sudáfrica pero no importa! La gente sale hasta en bata a festejar que los Bafana Bafana pasaron de fase por primera vez en un Mundial!pic.twitter.com/Zoe49lkRQ2
— Nahuel Lanzón (@nahuelzn) June 25, 2026
President Cyril Ramaphosa praised the squad's "inspired team performance" in a post on social media.
"We remain united and hopeful under our banner that declares: 'One Nation. One dream. One goal'," he said.
