Nigeria National Team technical director Augustine Eguavoen has described the much-anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Bafana Bafana as “massive” and a game his team “has no choice but to win.”
The Super Eagles landed at the Bram Fischer International Airport in Bloemfontein on Sunday evening. They will take on their old rivals, South Africa, at the Free State Stadium on Tuesday evening with kickoff set for 18:00.
The Nigerian team, currently in third place, desperately needs a win to close the six-point gap on Group C leaders Bafana Bafana.
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“Of course it’s a massive game, we have no choice, Nigeria has no choice. We respect South Africa, but we are gunning for three points, simple as that,” Eguavoen told Journalists after landing in Bloemfontein.
Nigeria head into the match with some confidence after a narrow 1-0 win against Rwanda on Saturday. They are a point behind Benin, their final opponent in the qualifiers. Meanwhile, Bafana also secured a 3-0 victory over Lesotho on Friday, a result that allowed them to maintain their lead at the top of the log.
“The win against Rwanda was motivational. It motivates us more, you know,” added Eguavoen, who has been to the World Cup with Nigeria as a player and also an assistant coach.
“It was a hard-earned victory [against Rwanda]. We fought for it, and at the end of the day, we got it. So we have to consolidate, and I came here to get three points; it’s as simple as that.”
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“We have played a couple of times. It can go either way, but this is a different game, you know,” he said.
“It’s a World Cup qualifier. So the weight behind it is massive. We all know what we want. South Africa has gone for it, a respected and good team.
“I know Hugo Broos, the coach, very well, way back in Belgium, and we have to be cautious of what they do also. But you see, both teams want it so bad.”
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