The disastrous result that saw Hugo Broos' charges fail to take points from Rwanda has thrown away the early advantage that Bafana Bafana had been set up for in the group.
With Nigeria starting with disappointing draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, the stage had been set for Bafana to grab to benefit.
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Instead of profiting from favourable results elsewhere in the group, Bafana couldn't find a way past ranked 140 on the latest FIFA standings walking away defeated 2-0.
Yet when the draw for these qualifiers was done in July, Rwanda and Lesotho were in the two bottom pots and viewed as the weakest in the group.
If Bafana need to qualify, it had to be standard procedure that they pocket all 12 points on offer from games against these Amavubi and Likuena.
Beyond they would need to need to make sure that they collect all nine points in the home games against Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Benin.
From there, Bafana would also need to win one of their away games against those three especially against homeless Zimbabwe who could play their home game in South Africa.
That would have then meant whatever Bafana can pick up on their difficult trips to the West African countries Nigeria and Benin would be a bonus.
However, having now dropped all three points in their away game to Rwanda, it means beyond winning all their remaining home games, it means they have win away at either Benin and Nigeria beyond also doing the same against Lesotho and Zimbabwe to be guaranteed of a ticket to the 2026 World Cup finals in Cananda/USA/Mexico.
"There are still eight games to play so you say you pay the bill in two games, but we will see," says Broos.
Bafana last played at the World Cup finals as hosts in 2010 with their most recent successful qualification campaign having been in 2002.
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Attempts to make through to USA 1994, Germany 2006, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022 were all in vain.
Nigeria got the better of Bafana in the '94 qualifiers, handed Ghana the ticket in 2006, were awful in 2014 and 2018, before scandalous officiating saw Ghana going through for the 2022 finals.
Broos has qualification for 2026 finals as priority.
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