South Africa’s coach, Hugo Broos, is confident that his team will outshine Nigeria and other Group C rivals to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup.
The Bafana Bafana currently sit second in Group C with seven points, trailing Rwanda only on goal difference. Meanwhile, Nigeria is fifth with three points, leaving a four-point gap between the two teams with six games left to play.
Broos is optimistic that his team will maintain their edge and claim the World Cup ticket ahead of the Super Eagles. Reflecting on their position after a strong showing in the Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, where South Africa topped Group K, Broos said the next goal is to return to the World Cup stage, which they last reached as hosts in 2010.
South Africa has remained unbeaten since their semifinal loss to Nigeria in the Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. One of their most challenging matches was the recent World Cup qualifier in Uyo, where they came close to securing a 1-0 victory before Nigeria equalized to force a draw.
Broos expressed confidence in his team’s momentum from the Nations Cup qualifiers, stating:
“We are steadily building a very good team, and that gives us the confidence we need for our next objective: qualifying for the World Cup.
“I believe we have the quality and the team to do it. But it’s still up to us to make it happen.”
Both South Africa and Nigeria have six games remaining in the qualifiers. The race resumes in March 2024, with South Africa hosting Lesotho and Nigeria traveling to face Rwanda.
Despite Nigeria’s struggles in the qualifiers so far, Broos acknowledges that the Super Eagles could bounce back when the campaign continues. However, he aims to keep the pressure on by securing six points each from matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, which he believes will solidify South Africa’s position.
For Nigeria, the path to qualification is straightforward but daunting. The Super Eagles must win all their remaining games while relying on Benin Republic, Rwanda, Lesotho, or Zimbabwe to either defeat or hold South Africa to a draw.
