2026 FIFA World Cup: Broos Tips South Africa To Qualify Ahead Nigeria

2026 FIFA World Cup: Broos Tips South Africa To Qualify Ahead Nigeria

Ibrahim Lateef

Hugo Broos says South Africa Bafana Bafana can overcome African powerhouse Nigeria’s Super Eagles to qualify for the 2026 World Cup that will be jointly hosted in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

In the draw conducted in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, Bafana Bafana will have to negotiate their way past a Victor Osimhen-led Super Eagles, Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho in Group C for the group’s sole ticket and take part in a play-off if they finish as one of the best runner-ups from the groups.

“The away games will be important in a group such as ours, but now a bit more because we have five difficult away games for different reasons,” Broos said from his home in Belgium.

“I think it is possible for South Africa to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup first in the group. If you see the progress we have made in the past two years, you cannot compare those qualifiers [for the 2026 World Cup] with the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. We are better now, we have a better team now. So oK, I'm confident.”

Bafana have only beaten Nigeria once in a competitive match, when Stuart Baxter's outfit shocked the Super Eagles 2-0 in Uyo in June 2017 in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.