Mental strength and patience are key to Bafana Bafana’s World Cup ambitions

South Africa must develop greater mental resilience, physical endurance and patience if Bafana Bafana are ever to challenge for the FIFA World Cup, according to a discussion on the Carwash podcast.

The debate, which featured Darian Wilken as a guest, followed the 2026 tournament, where Morocco and Egypt were the only African teams to progress beyond the Round of 32 from the continent’s 10 participants.

For the panel, the early exits of the other African nations reflected a wider concern about the preparation and mentality required to compete at the highest level. Many of the tournament’s most important matches were decided in the closing stages, prompting Linda ‘Figo’ Mntambo to question whether players are equipped to maintain their performance throughout an entire game.

“I feel one thing that maybe coming back to the country would be: how are the players’ mental strength, physical fitness, and all of that? But are you strong enough to play the game from the first minute until the last minute?” he said.

Mntambo pointed to the final between Spain and defending champions Argentina as an example. Spain controlled large parts of the match but initially failed to find a way through, while continuing to apply pressure.

“They never stopped knocking on that door,” he added.

The panel contrasted that persistence with teams that appear to lose belief when a match is not unfolding in their favour. Mntambo stressed that the issue was not a lack of ability, but the way players are prepared to handle decisive moments.

Wilken drew on his own experience at Orlando Pirates, where a mental coach formed part of the technical team. The discussion suggested that psychological preparation should be treated as an important element of football development rather than an afterthought.

South Africa’s rugby success was also used as a potential model. The Springboks recovered from a poor start to win the 2019 Rugby World Cup, despite losing their opening match to New Zealand.

Bafana Bafana showed some of the same resilience after losing their group match to Mexico. However, their late defeat by Canada exposed what the panel regarded as a broader weakness in South African football: a lack of patience when opponents defend in a low block.

“The success of rugby is not entirely based on the strategy and game model but also depends on how mentally strong the players are.”

The panel called for a stronger development culture in football, similar to that established in rugby. They also argued that sports science and detailed data analysis should be adopted more seriously instead of being dismissed.

There was no simple solution, but the conclusion was clear. For Bafana Bafana to become world champions, South Africa will need mental toughness, self-discipline, tactical patience and a genuine commitment to sports science.

The talent, the panel agreed, already exists. The challenge is ensuring it is used effectively.