Ex-Bafana coach: South Africa scared of big teams before World Cup

Former South Africa coach Owen Da Gama has criticised Bafana Bafana’s World Cup preparations, accusing the team of hiding from stronger opponents instead of using tough friendlies to test themselves before the tournament.

Da Gama said South Africa’s build-up had been weakened by poor planning, travel disruptions and what he described as a worrying preference for easier matches against lower-ranked opposition.

His criticism followed Bafana Bafana’s friendly schedule, which included matches against Panama and Nicaragua, with Nicaragua ranked 131st in the world.

“I’m deeply disappointed — not just with the Nicaragua game, but with the whole approach. We played a team ranked 131st in the world, at home. That’s terrible preparation,” Da Gama told KickOff.

“Panama, then Nicaragua — it’s very poor. I think we’re more concerned with keeping an unbeaten record than actually testing ourselves.”

South Africa’s preparations also suffered a setback on 31 May 2026, when a scheduled charter flight to Mexico was abruptly cancelled, throwing the team’s travel plans into confusion.

The South African Football Association has also reportedly struggled to secure friendlies against higher-ranked teams, further raising concerns about the quality of Bafana’s final preparations.

Da Gama said a World Cup-bound team must be willing to face stronger opposition, even if it risks defeat.

He recalled his experience with South Africa’s Under-23 team before the Olympics, saying difficult matches against stronger teams helped prepare the players for the main competition.

“We played Brazil away and lost, Japan away and lost. But by the time we got to the Olympics, we were ready — we drew with Brazil with ten men. You need that kind of preparation for a World Cup,” he said.

The former coach suggested that fear, not only money, could be behind South Africa’s failure to arrange tougher fixtures.

“I think we’re scared of playing bigger countries. I don’t know if it’s about money — I understand Brazil wanted R5 million, and the government should help. But we can’t hide,” he said.

Da Gama said he would continue to support Bafana Bafana, but warned that the team’s current preparation does not inspire confidence.

“I’ll always support Bafana 100%, but I don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. Honestly, our preparation has been very, very poor,” he added.