South Africa's Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has issued a public call for prayer warriors across the country to rally behind Bafana Bafana ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A clash against Czech Republic on Thursday.

Bafana's difficult start

The match carries enormous weight for South Africa, who suffered a 2-0 defeat to hosts Mexico in their tournament opener — a bruising result made worse by two red cards handed to Bafana players during the game.

Czech Republic enter the fixture in similarly troubled form, having fallen 2-1 to South Korea in their own opening group stage encounter.

With both sides yet to register a point, Thursday's meeting at FIFA World Cup 2026 carries the urgency of a must-win fixture for either nation hoping to keep their campaign alive.