Analysis: How South Africa’s WAFCON campaign came crashing down in the quarters

South Africa endured their worst WAFCON campaign since 2004, falling short of expectations and missing out on a direct berth to the 2027 World Cup.

South Africa’s players gather in a pre-match huddle during WAFCON. Credit: Confederation of African Football.

South Africa were the first victims of what is proving to be a WAFCON 2026 for the underdogs.

Banyana Banyana never truly recovered from their shock 2-1 defeat to Tanzania in their tournament opener, following it up with a dramatic fightback from …