At every given opportunity, South Africa’s Coach, Hugo Broos, is quick to tell his listeners that his team is only interested in garnering the points that would aid them to qualify for the 2026 World and nothing more.
He dismisses any talk of seeking revenge on Nigeria for denying his team opportunity to play in their first Africa Cup of Nations final since they lost the title to Egypt in Burkina Faso 1998.
But from his players’ mien and reports in South African media, one gets the impression that the Bafana Bafana are still pained by their loss to Nigeria in Cote d’Ivoire and see this 2026 World Cup qualifier in Uyo as opportunity to heal the wounds from that semifinal defeat.
The South Africans flew into Port Harcourt on Wednesday night via a chartered flight and arrived in Uyo yesterday morning to prepare for today’s battle.
In an interview just before departing for Nigeria, Broos told the media that Nigeria was lucky to beat his team at the AFCON, adding that even though 90 per cent of his players ply their trade at home, they have the weapon to defeat the Super Eagles, which is peopled by Europe-based stars.
The hosts come into this encounter in Group C with two points after two games, whilst South Africa are currently on three points and behind group leaders Rwanda by one point.
In matches between Nigeria and South Africa, the Super Eagles have been dominant, winning the last two ties since they lost to South Africa in the same Uyo in 2017.
They have won four and drawn five out of their last 10 matches against Bafana Bafana. But they face a very improved South African side now ranked among the top 10 teams in the CAF region.
South Africa are aiming to qualify for their first World Cup since they hosted the Copa du Mundo in 2010. At the media briefing yesterday ahead of the game, Broos was full of praise for the Super Eagles, acknowledging that Nigeria has the more renowned players on paper. He added, however, that they are not here to play against names, but against 11 players, whose efficiency would be determined by the opportunity they get to harm his side. Broos said the Bafana Bafana would play for a win, adding that they would also welcome a draw if that is the best they would get.
In contrast, Finidi George’s team know that only a win would help their chances of returning to the World Cup after missing the last festival in 2022.
The absence of Africa Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen due to injury, and injuries to defenders William Ekong (this year’s AFCON’s Man of the Competition), Kenneth Omeruo, Jamilu Collins and Zaidu Sanusi mean Coach George will scratch the bottom of the barrel for rearguard service against the AFCON bronze medallists.
George, in his competitive match in charge of Nigeria, is most likely to throw the experienced Kelechi Iheanacho and youngsters Victor Boniface and Ademola Lookman into the fore with the objective of getting the goals early enough on a turf that Nigeria has lost only one competitive game since it was opened 10 years ago.
Incidentally, that one competitive loss was to the Bafana (0-2 defeat at the start of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations) on June 10, 2017, but the Eagles rallied in the campaign and eventually finished ahead of the Bafana to qualify for the finals in Egypt, where they also defeated the Bafana in the quarterfinals on the way to a third-place finish.
The Bafana may also count as triumph their 2-2 draw with the Eagles at the same venue on November 19, 2014, which prevented Nigeria from qualifying for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Eagles are aware of the enormity of task before them and stand-in captain, Wilfred Ndidi, said yesterday that the three-time African champions will give their very best this evening.
“Nobody needs to tell us that we did not start the campaign well enough. The opportunity has arisen to take our fate in our hands and rise to strong contention in our pool.”
We will approach Friday’s encounter with the right mental attitude,” he said. Lookman, who became only the sixth man in history to score a hat-trick in a European Cup final when he led Atalanta of Italy to victory in Dublin on May 22, is in a great form to continue where he left off after the Africa Cup of Nations, where he netted three crucial goals to steer Nigeria to a second-place finish.
He also netted an important winner for the Eagles against Ghana in a friendly in Morocco three months ago, which helped Nigeria to a first triumph over Ghana in 18 years.
Boniface also had a marvelous season, winning the German League and Cup double with Bayer Leverkusen and reaching the Europa Cup final, where Lookman was the big obstacle.
Iheanacho, and midfield enforcer, Wilfred Ndidi, are pumped up after helping their English club Leicester City back to the Premiership after one season in the Championship.
