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Coach Hugo Broos during training
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos understands that a win against Nigeria will help the team qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Broos says the aim is not to draw but to play for maximum points against the Super Eagles at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, on Tuesday evening.
South Africa enjoys a five-point lead in Group C with three games remaining.
Nigeria are third in the group trailing Bafana Bafana by a massive six points.
Bafana Bafana are in the driving seat in Group C, still with three qualifying games remaining.
They lead second placed Benin by five points.
But after a slow start, Nigeria revived their qualifying campaign after a slender 1-nil win at home over Rwanda.
On the other hand South Africa cemented their place at the top of the group after a commanding 3-nil win against Lesotho at the Free State Stadium on Friday evening.
Broos says they will go all out for a win against Nigeria on Tuesday evening.
“It’s a big opportunity we have tomorrow, we all know if we win the game we are qualified not mathematically but then it will be a miracle if we shouldn’t qualify. So, we all know that it’s an opportunity to win the game tomorrow but we are playing against a very good opponent also it’s not that they are six points behind us, we have to think Nigeria is a good team. When you see players, the players all play for big teams in Europe. So, that means there is quality, but we don’t have fear to play that game of tomorrow”.
But Broos understands that playing against the Super Eagles of Nigeria is never a walk in the park.
“It’s an important game, I think before one match was played we were going to be the favourites to win the group, now we are in a situation I didn’t really expect from the beginning, six points ahead of Nigeria, five points ahead of Benin and that with three games to play that means we are in a good position but it’s still not finished. I think it will be a big mistake from our side to think that nothing can happen again, it’s up to us to play a good game against a very good team.”
Broos says Bafana Bafana destiny is in their own hands if they want to qualify for next year’s FIFA World Cup to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“You just have to look at yourself and I think it’s something we have to do also, we don’t have to count on Rwanda or Benin or whatever. We know what we have to do and we will try to do that and if we can achieve that, we have qualified. I don’t look that this team plays after us or we are playing before them, we just have to focus on our own game and that is what we will try to do.”
Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams agrees with the sentiment on deciding their our own destiny to qualify for the global football showpiece.
33-year-old Williams was part of the Bafana Bafana squad that narrowly missed the last FIFA World Cup that was played in Qatar in 2022.
“What’s important is to focus on the game, the most important thing is to get the job done. We don’t want favours from anyone, we want to do things our way I mean we learned a hard lesson a few years ago where our destiny was in other teams hands and obviously things did not go our way so we learnt and we grew as a team and now we want do it our way get the job done. I mean there’s still nine points to play for, it doesn’t happen tomorrow there’s still next month”.
The last time Bafana Bafana properly qualified, was back in 2002 for the World Cup in South Korea and Japan
In 2010 South Africa qualified for the event by virtue of being the hosts of the first FIFA World Cup.
