Bafana Bafana are continuing their remarkable rise on the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) men’s world rankings after a perfect international window that saw South Africa claim two victories in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers before producing a strong performance against Egypt.

South Africa began the international break ranked 54th in the world before victories over Guinea and Eritrea propelled them into the top 50.

A 2-1 victory over Guinea at Orlando Amstel Arena in Soweto lifted Bafana to 50th, while their emphatic 5-0 win over Eritrea at Al-Salam Stadium pushed them further up to 49th in the provisional rankings.

Bafana then completed an impressive run of results by defeating Egypt 1-0 in Cairo on Sunday night, with Puso Dithejane scoring the decisive goal in the 50th minute following the goalkeeper’s blunder.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is in Egypt, where he participated in the 8th African Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, was also in attendance to show support to Bafana.

The victory over the Pharaohs, one of Africa’s most decorated football nations, capped a perfect start to Pitso Mosimane’s second spell as Bafana head coach.

The latest ranking movement marks a significant milestone for South African football, with Bafana breaking into the FIFA top 50 for the first time in 15 years.

With three consecutive victories under Mosimane, Bafana are building considerable momentum as they continue their pursuit of continental success.