South Africa will return to the Fifa World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010 after narrowly claiming top spot in their qualifying group ahead of Nigeria and Benin.
Benin, chasing a maiden World Cup appearance, started the last round of matches at the summit of Group C, two points ahead of South Africa and three in front of Nigeria.
But the team led by former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr fell to a 4-0 defeat away in Uyo, with Victor Osimhen grabbing a hat-trick for the hosts, a result that saw the Cheetahs slip to third, below their opponents on goal difference.
That opened the door to the South Africans, and Bafana Bafana capitalised as they eased to a 3-0 home win over Rwanda.
Thalente Mbatha fired home in the fifth minute, Oswin Appollis whipped in a second midway through the first half and Evidence Makgopa headed in the third in the 72nd minute in Mbombela.
South Africa become the seventh African team to reach the expanded 48-team finals, joining Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana and Cape Verde.
There will be relief that the 3-0 forfeit imposed by Fifa for fielding an ineligible player in their victory over Lesotho in March has not cost them.
That decision, announced earlier this month, saw Bafana drop from the top of the group to second, behind Benin on goal difference, heading into the final two rounds of preliminaries.
Credit: bbc
