Bafana Bafana on Thursday qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) without even playing, as hosts South Sudan beat Congo 3-2 in their Group K qualifier on Thursday.
As a result, the bottom-placed South Sudan ended the slim hopes Congo had of making it to the tournament in Morocco next year.
With the win, South Sudan moved to three points with one match left to play, while Congo remained on four after the same number of games.
It means that Uganda on 10 points, and South Africa on eight, both with two games left have both qualified for Afcon.
Dead rubbers remain
Uganda host South Africa in Kira Municipality on Friday at 3pm, in what will now be an inconsequential clash. Bafana’s final qualifier match will be against South Sudan in Cape Town on Tuesday.
Earlier this week, Bafana coach Hugo Broos, perhaps a tad flippantly, said he will resign if Bafana did not qualify for Afcon with two matches left in their campaign.
"It would be a little shame if we don’t qualify for [2025] Afcon. Honestly, we have the quality, we are bronze medalists," Broos said on Monday in a press conference.
"Can you imagine that the bronze medal of nine months ago can’t even qualify for the next Afcon? So, I’m not thinking about that because again, my confidence is big in this team, but we can’t. We can’t accept if we shouldn’t be qualified for Afcon.
"If we lose both games, five minutes after the game I’m on the flight to Belgium. You can be sure of it," Broos continued.
"If we can’t win, okay Uganda [away is tough], but at home against South Sudan, I tell you I’ll immediately take a flight, and you’ll never see me again."