Cape Town, 15 October (H.S.): South Africa ended a 14-year absence from the world's biggest football stage by qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a decisive 3-0 victory over Rwanda on Tuesday. The historic win secured their first World Cup appearance since hosting the tournament in 2010, as they finished at the top of Group C in the African qualifiers.

The qualification drama was heightened by Nigeria's crucial 4-0 demolition of Benin, which proved instrumental for South Africa's advancement. Benin had entered the final matchday with a two-point lead over South Africa, but the heavy defeat saw them slip to third place.

South Africa finished as group leaders with 18 points, while Nigeria clinched the runner-up spot for a potential playoff berth with 17 points, edging out Benin on superior goal difference.In their must-win match, South Africa established an early lead when Tlhalente Mbatha found the net in just the fifth minute.

Oswin Appollis doubled the advantage in the 21st minute before Evidence Makgopa sealed the emphatic victory with a powerful header in the 72nd minute. The triumph marks a significant turnaround for the team, which had been docked three points last month for fielding an ineligible player in a match in March.

Meanwhile, Algeria also booked their ticket to the World Cup by defeating Uganda 2-1 on Tuesday. Mohamed Amoura was the hero for the Desert Foxes, converting two penalties to secure the win. His brace took his tally to 10 goals, making him the top scorer in the African qualifiers.

The victory cemented Algeria's position at the top of Group G with 25 points. The match also featured the debut of goalkeeper Luca Zidane, son of French football legend Zinedine Zidane, who conceded an early goal to Uganda's Steven Mukwala in the sixth minute before his team mounted its comeback.

In the other decisive Group C fixture, Nigeria's convincing victory was powered by a magnificent hat-trick from star striker Victor Osimhen, who scored in the 3rd, 37th, and early in the second half. Frank Onyeka added a fourth goal in the final minutes to complete the 4-0 rout of Benin.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar