Africa-Press – Rwanda. This is a top-billing clash in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. South Africa, the solid leaders of Group C, host Nigeria, who are under pressure to bring home a positive result or watch their qualification dreams slip away.
Bafana Bafana: time to win!
Firmly on top of Group C, the South Africans approach this showdown with confidence. In seven qualifying matches, they’ve racked up five wins and conceded just two goals during their 2-0 loss to Rwanda in Huye.
At home, they’re even more formidable: their recent 3-0 win over Lesotho underlines an impressive run of form.
Nigeria under immense pressure
For the Super Eagles, the equation is simple: avoid defeat to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Currently third with 10 points, they trail South Africa by six. Their hard-fought win over Rwanda (1-0) restored some belief, but there’s zero margin for error now.
Despite an unbeaten run of eight matches, Nigeria are struggling to convince in attack.
A duel that could seal the group
In the first leg in Abuja, the two nations cancelled each other out (1-1). This new encounter carries massive stakes:
If South Africa wins: qualification is almost guaranteed.
If Nigeria triumphs: the suspense remains, and Benin could join the race.
A draw: clear advantage for South Africa, but the Super Eagles still have hope.
From the 4-0 thumping in 1992, to Bafana’s 2-0 win in 2017, and the recent 1-1 draws in 2024 — this battle never fails to light up African football.
South Africa could deal a definitive blow to Nigeria’s diminishing World Cup qualification hopes when the two nations meet in Bloemfontein.
Bafana Bafana lead Group C and are six points clear of their visitors going into the clash, with Nigeria at ever-increasing peril of missing out on successive tournament finals.
The Super Eagles enter their seventh match of qualifying with 10 points out of a possible 21, having been let down by their string of four draws.
Defeat in South Africa could down Nigeria’s hopes of automatic qualification for good, which would force a drastic turnaround in fortunes in order to book their flight to the United States – one that would need to see them end the campaign as one of the four best runners-up in the African qualifying section.
Team news
South Africa will likely be forced into at least two changes after Nyiko Mobbie and Thabo Brendon Moloisane were replaced due to injury against Lesotho. Burnley frontman Lyle Foster scored and assisted in that game and will be expected to keep his place up top.
Nigeria, meanwhile, will be without star striker Victor Osimhen after he hobbled off with a foot injury 32 minutes into Saturday’s 1-0 win over Rwanda. New Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare could start in his stead after scoring the decisive goal in that game.
Predicted line-ups
South Africa XI: Williams; Mdunyelwa, Ndamane, Mbokazi, Modiba; Mokoena, Mbatha; Nkota, Mbule, Appollis; Foster
Nigeria XI: Nwabali; Osayi-Samuel, Troost-Ekong, Bassey, Aina; Onyeka, Ndidi; Iwobi, Simon, Lookman; Arokodare.
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