Broos sure South Africa will beat Nigeria to the 2026 World Cup ticket

South Africa’s Coach, Hugo Broos, believes his side will beat Nigeria and other contenders in Group C for the 2026 World Cup ticket.

The Bafana Bafana are second in Group C on seven points and are only behind Rwanda on goals difference. Nigeria, on the other hand, is on three points and fifth with six games to go.

With four points separating his team from Nigeria, Broos is optimistic that they will do whatever it takes to nick the ticket ahead of the Super Eagles.

X-raying his team’s position in the race to the World Cup after an impressive Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series, Broos, whose side won Group K of the AFCON qualifiers, said the next focus is on returning to the World Cup, which South Africa last played in 2010 when they hosted it.

South Africa has not lost a game since the Super Eagles beat them in the semifinals of the Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. One of their toughest games was a World Cup qualifier in Uyo, in which they were almost running away with a 1-0 win before Nigeria rallied to share the spoils.

Broos said his team would use the momentum of the Nations Cup qualifiers to ride through the World Cup race.

“It doesn’t mean that we have to now think that we are where we have to be. No. But little by little we are becoming a very good team.

“And that will give us the confidence that we need for the next thing we have to do, which is qualify for the World Cup.

“But I’m confident that we can do it. I think, if SA can qualify for the World Cup it is now because we have quality; we have a good team. We can do it. But we still have to do it.”

South Africa, like Nigeria, has six games to go.

The World Cup qualifiers will resume in March next year with South Africa hosting Lesotho, while Nigeria will play away to Rwanda.

Although Nigeria has struggled in the World Cup qualifiers, Broos is of no illusion that the Super Eagles will recover when the qualifying rounds resume next year.

But he expects to make the going tough for the Super Eagles by collecting six points from Lesotho and another six against Zimbabwe. These he believes will be enough to see them through.

For Nigeria, the job is clear cut; the Super Eagles must win all their games and hope that Benin Republic, Rwanda, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe will do them a favour by either beating the Bafana Bafana or holding them to a draw.