Nigeria and South Africa will renew their rivalry in a high-stakes 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday.
Nigeria’s campaign has been drab by their standards following two draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, leaving them fourth in the standings.
South Africa on the other hand started with a 2-1 win over Benin but was stunned 2-0 by the Wasps of Rwanda. With both teams looking to carve out a win, the match is billed to be a blockbuster, especially with the top talents that the host country has in its arsenal.
As the countdown to this much-anticipated clash continues, we analyse both teams’ recent form, highlight the key players who will be absent, and explore where the battle for victory could be won or lost.
Pressure on the Eagles
The Super Eagles will feel they’ve dropped four points already, and the pressure must be on to grind out a win that will take them to the top of the standings. Despite their inconsistencies, Nigeria has only lost three competitive games in 5 years, including the final of last year’s African Cup of Nations (AFCON) to Ivory Coast.
During the AFCON, the Eagles soared over big teams like South Africa, Cameroon, and even the eventual champions, Ivory Coast, on their way to the final.
With former legendary international Finidi George at the helm, expect the team to adopt a more attacking style of football, especially from the wings, which George was renowned for during his playing days. With an array of talents going forward, the Eagles certainly have more than two wings to fly.
Whilst there shouldn’t be problems swarming forward, it is at the back that Nigeria has recently shown lapses. They’ve not looked as solid as they were at the AFCON when William Troost-Ekong was marshalling the defence and with the stalwart still out injured, the Eagles have to find a balance between going forward and repelling the South African forward line who have proven their potency in recent matches
Broos Brushes up Bafana
Belgian coach Hugo Broos has done a good job with this Bafana Bafana team, moulding them into a cohesive and confident squad. That they’ve lost only thrice in 31 matches in 2 years is a testament to how improved the team is.
South Africa made it to the semi-finals at the last AFCON before a heart-breaking penalty shootout loss to Nigeria. They still left the championships with their heads held high after winning the third-place match over the Democratic Republic of Congo by a lone goal.
South Africa haven’t lost a match in regulation time since their loss to Mali in their opener at the AFCON and they’re currently riding a wave of confidence and playing with so much fluidity.
Nigeria Ace the Head-to-Head
Historically, the South Africans don’t have much to brag about in their head-to-head against Nigeria. Since 1992 when the rivalry began, Nigeria has won 8 times, drawn 6, with just 2 losses to the Bafana Bafana.
When it comes to World Cup qualifiers, Nigeria is even more dominant having never lost to South Africa before in 4 encounters, bagging three wins and a draw, scoring seven goals with no reply.
However, South Africa can feel confident going into this tie after they ran out 2-0 winners in their most recent visit to Uyo in June 2017 for an Afcon qualifier, and the victory is a reminder that when these two giants clash, anything can happen.
Who’s in and who’s out?
Nigeria’s talisman, Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen is out injured. At the same time, Captain Ahmed Musa and seasoned defender Kenneth Omeruo didn’t make the cut. Bayern Leverkusen’s Nathan Tella asked to be excused.
There will be some new faces though, with local league stars Kenneth Igboke and Sodiq Ismael getting the nod along with Rizespor’s midfielder Ibrahim Olawoyin, Tanzania-based Benjamin Tanimu and Hatayspor’s Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.
Despite these changes, the Super Eagles retain significant firepower with Europa League hero Ademola Lookman, Milan’s Samuel Chukwueze, Fulham’s Alex Iwobi and Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface among the weapons George can deploy.
In goal, while Maduka Okoye returns to the squad after a hiatus, Stanley Nwabali, is expected to keep his place between the posts.
With a mix of talent and energy, Nigeria’s lineup certainly has plenty of goals in them.
While South Africa has a few injury worries, they still have the core of their AFCON team in shape. Also, Burnley striker Lyle Foster is back after a lengthy lay-off and with the dangerous trio of Teboho Mokoena, Percy Tau and the red-hot Themba Zwane, they’ll certainly take this match to the Eagles and will be looking to win their first World Cup qualifier against the Eagles.
If their recent friendly against Algeria is anything to go by, then expect this match to be plenty value for the fans. And with plenty of attacking talent in the Nigerian team, goals should not be lacking.
With Nigeria having never lost a World Cup qualifier to South Africa, expect this trend to continue