Percy Tau and Khuliso Mudau Send South Africa Top of CAF 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Group C

• Percy Tau opened the scoring in the opening two minutes to set the tone for a dominant display
• Khuliso Mudau doubled the lead in first-half injury time to round off an outstanding 45 minutes
• South Africa take an early lead in Group C of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification attempt

Bafana Bafana ticked the first necessary box on route to North America.

South Africa laid down a marker to the rest of the group with a dominant first half that tapered off slightly in the second period.

Thanks to draws in the other matches, South Africa have an early two-point lead over the other teams in Group C.

South Africa got off to a perfect start 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign with an early goal to set up the win.

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Without Benin even touching the ball, South Africa knocked the ball around for two minutes before the slick inter-passing was finished off by a delicate Percy Tau chip.

For the first seven minutes, Bafana had over 95% of the ball and Benin were restricted to counter chances.

Themba Zwane And Sphephelo Sithole kept things ticking over in the midfield as South Africa looked assured and composed.

More than half of the starting line-up came from Mamelodi Sundowns and the Masandawana connection showed when Khuliso Mudau tapped in at the back post to make it 2-0.

The second half was less impressive as Benin came out with more fight, making a concerted effort to get more physical with South Africa.

Bafana Bafana became too passive and were punished just before the 70-minute mark when a slack pass across the middle by Tau was intercepted.

Benin countered well and an accurate cross found Steve Munie at the back post, who acrobatically knocked it past a flat-footed Ronwen Williams.

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Benin were given new impetus but South Africa saw out the 90 to go top of Group C.

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Nigeria draw with Lesotho

Sports Brief recently reported on Nigeria being held to a draw by the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Lesotho where overwhelming underdogs going into the opening round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Every point dropped allows for other teams to close in and Nigeria will not want to give South Africa a headstart.