Bafana star makes bold promise after World Cup draw

Former Orlando Pirates winger Mohau Nkota has set an extraordinary personal goal for the upcoming tournament, confidently stating he aims to score the very first goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following the conclusion of the final draw.

The draw, held on Friday at the John F Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC. confirmed that Bafana Bafana will begin their campaign in Group A alongside co-hosts Mexico and the Republic of Korea.

The fourth spot in Group A is reserved for the winner of European Playoff D, which will be decided in March 2026. The contenders are Denmark, North Macedonia, Ireland, and the Czech Republic.

A Familiar Opening Fixture For Bafana

The #FIFAWorldCup 2026 kicks off with the Bafana Bafana taking the field. 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/cMb80DQzm2

— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) December 5, 2025

South Africa is scheduled to play its crucial opening match against co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City on June 11, 2026. This date marks almost exactly 16 years since the two nations opened the 2010 World Cup at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.

For South Africa, this marks their fourth appearance in the global finals, having qualified three times and participated once as the host nation in 2010.

Speaking after the draw, Nkota expressed excitement about the challenge, acknowledging the quality of the opposition.

“I won’t say it’s easy teams, they’re all best teams,” Nkota told SuperSport TV. “For us, it’s just to go and prove ourselves, raise our hands up, and we will do better in the games.”

Bold Personal Ambition For Bafana Star Mohau Nkota

The ambitious forward then put a lofty personal target on record, setting his sights on making history in the tournament opener against Mexico.

“For me, I just go there to score,” he added. “I want to score the first goals of the FIFA World Cup.”

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first tournament to feature 48 teams and will run from June 11 to July 19, hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The full fixture list is due to be released on Saturday.