South African football fans poured into the streets in the early hours of Thursday morning, honking vuvuzelas and singing in celebration after Bafana Bafana secured their first-ever qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout rounds.

Playing in the tournament for the first time since hosting it in 2010, the team shocked South Korea 1-0 on Wednesday to secure progression to the next stage. The qualification had seemed unlikely after the squad lost their opening group stage match 2-0 to co-hosts Mexico.

As the match ended at around 05:00 local time, scores of people headed into the streets – many still in their pyjamas – to chant, dance and blow the long plastic vuvuzela horns that became synonymous with South African football culture.

Soweto resident Nandi Ntini told AFP that she was woken up by vuvuzelas and fireworks.

“There were fireworks outside and the celebration went on for more than an hour after the game,” she said.

“We are proudly South African, and this is our Cup. We have started it and we will finish it,” a fan in Johannesburg’s Soweto area said in a video posted online by the national broadcaster SABC.

“We love and support Bafana Bafana,” said another fan, wearing a scarf in the colours of the South African flag around his neck as crowds of people celebrated in the street behind him.

WATCH BAFANA BAFANA CELEBRATE HERE.

Social media posts showed women dancing in their dressing gowns in a Soweto street as people sang “Shosholoza”, a Zulu chant meaning “go forward” that South Africans often sing at sporting events.

President Cyril Ramaphosa praised the squad’s “inspired team performance” in a post on social media.

“We remain united and hopeful under our banner that declares: ‘One Nation. One dream. One goal’,” he said.

The victory marks a significant milestone for South African football, as the national team advances beyond the group stage for the first time in World Cup history.

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