Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is optimistic that his side can secure a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as early as Tuesday, stating that their qualifying destiny “is in our hands” ahead of the crucial match against Nigeria.
Riding a wave of confidence after their dominant 3-0 win against Lesotho, Bafana Bafana are set to face one of their biggest rivals, Nigeria, at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein.
The victory on Friday night solidified South Africa’s control of Group C. They now sit five points clear of Benin, six points ahead of the Super Eagles, and eight points above Rwanda, who lost to Nigeria on Saturday.
This commanding position puts Broos’s side in a strong position as they prepare for a key test against their old foes.
BAFANA BAFANA COACH HOPING FOR WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION ON TUESDAY
Broos says their current good position places them in a position to qualify for the World Cup on Tuesday.
“Now we will see next week when we play against Nigeria. If God is with us, we can maybe qualify already next Tuesday for the World Cup, and that stays the goal for us,” he said.
“We are in a good situation; we have everything in our own hands, so it’s up to us now to finish it.”
WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR HUGO BROOS AND HIS CHARGES TO DISMANTLE LESOTHO
Broos has also opened up about what he describes as a bad feeling due to ‘abnormal’ events leading up to the match against Lesotho.
“That shows again that you only win games on the pitch and not off the pitch. Sometimes you have a bad feeling and you can prove it that there is a bad feeling,” he added.
“I have to be honest. I also had that bad feeling in the past few days, but I will not go into details. But again, what happened in the past few days is not normal.
“Therefore, it was very important for us to win the game against Lesotho, and that’s what we did. We will see you next week when we play against Nigeria.”
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