Kaizer Chiefs’ Fiacre Ntwari might just hold South Africa’s 2026 FIFA World Cup hopes in his gloves.
The 26-year-old goalkeeper, who sits behind Brandon Petersen at club level, is set to start for Rwanda in Tuesday’s crunch qualifier against Bafana Bafana at Mbombela Stadium.
How big is the game? It’s a do-or-die decider for Bafana. Failure to win will result in another failed World Cup dream.
RWANDA TO START KAIZER CHIEFS GOALKEEPER FIACRE NTWARI AGAINST BAFANA BAFANA
The Wasps number one has started in all of his country’s last six key fixtures, from AFCON qualifiers against Nigeria and Lesotho to the current World Cup campaign.
In that run, he’s managed one clean sheet and conceded seven goals.
BIG DRAMA IN CAPE TOWN
Back home, Ntwari’s name made headlines for all the wrong reasons just weeks ago. In Amakhosi’s last-16 Carling Knockout exit to Stellenbosch FC, the former TS Galaxy star famously refused to be substituted before penalties, defying his coaches in front of over 40.000 stunned fans at DHL Stadium and millions more watching on television. Unfortunately, he only managed to deny one spot-kick, while his opposite number, Sage Stephens, saved two to send his side to the final eight.
Now, Ntwari has a chance to make a different kind of statement, this time in Bafana’s biggest game in two decades.
If South Africa wins and Benin drops points against Nigeria on the same night, Bafana will qualify for their first non-automatic World Cup spot since 2002.