Nigeria’s Super Eagles are braced for a high-stakes encounter against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying clash at the Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein, on Tuesday night.
Team captain William Troost-Ekong, who was voted Man of the Competition at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, assured that the squad will approach the game with confidence but without arrogance.
“We defeated them at the Africa Cup but that is in the past,” Ekong told reporters. “Some changes have been made to both teams since then. Our approach will be devoid of arrogance; we will play with level heads and go all out for victory.”
The defender emphasised that the Super Eagles are focused only on their mission to reach the World Cup finals. “South Africa is a good team that we respect, but we just have to go on the pitch and play our game. Our objective has not changed; we want to go to the FIFA World Cup finals next year,” he added.
Nigeria will be counting on a disciplined performance to overcome a resilient South African side that has steadily grown in confidence. The Bafana Bafana, who lost to Nigeria in a dramatic penalty shootout at the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, will be seeking revenge on home soil.
Coach Eric Chelle, who has steadied the Super Eagles’ campaign with seven points from his first three games in charge, promised a bold approach. “We have come here to play for the three points, so we will be sending out the team that will get the job done. We are happy to have overcome Rwanda but we must conquer here tomorrow to stay in a good position for qualification.”
Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, His Excellency Tope Ajayi, also visited the team after their final training session on Monday. He charged the players to give their best and secure maximum points.
“I have confidence that we will win, and many South Africans also believe Nigeria will win,” Ajayi said. “We should go out there with courage and refuse to be intimidated by anything. Just as the Super Falcons qualified for the Olympics in Pretoria, I am seeing you at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and it will be so.”
The much-anticipated clash kicks off at 6pm local time (5pm Nigeria) in Bloemfontein, with both teams eager to take a decisive step toward securing qualification for the global tournament.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
