Hugo Broos' task of taking Bafana Bafana back to the World Cup via the qualification path will come with the demands of winning his next two matches.
Bafana resume their Group C campaign against Lesotho on March 17, before they square off with Benin eight days later.
These are two games which Bafana will need to win to maintain the distance between them and Nigeria at least four points with four matches to play.
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At present, Broos' team has seven points from four games, while the Super Eagles have three after failing to win in their opening four.
The populous West African country is the biggest threat for Bafana in the group given their pedigree.
Broos knows that a win against Lesotho is non-negotiable, just like he will need all the points away in Benin to push Bafana to 13 points.
After the March fixtures, Bafana will then have games against Lesotho, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Rwanda.
The Belgian has already completed consecutive qualification jobs for the AFCON finals and now has the World Cup as the main task.
Broos' first World Cup qualifying campaign with Bafana ended in tears after Senegalese referee Maguette Ndiaye awarded Ghana a controversial penalty to win the game.
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With qualification for the 2026 World Cup, it will mean Broos runs down his contract until the end in June next year.
He will be 73 by then and has indicated he will then step down and head back home.
The veteran coach is expected to announce his squad in the new week.