South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has publicly stated that he does not wish for Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles, to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In an interview with Radio 947, McKenzie suggested that Nigeria had acted to undermine South Africa’s campaign for World Cup qualification, reflecting ongoing tensions between the two nations in the context of Group C qualifying matches.

South Africa faced a significant challenge when FIFA deducted three points from their tally for fielding an ineligible player, initially placing their automatic qualification hopes in jeopardy.

Nigeria capitalised on this situation by winning their final two group matches, remaining in contention for the top spot. Despite this, South Africa secured the Group C ticket with a 3-0 victory over Rwanda on the final day, confirming their place at the World Cup for the first time since 2010.

McKenzie, 51, a former gangster-turned-politician, framed his comments in the context of perceived hostility from Nigeria. “I knew what they did behind the scenes for us not to get there (qualify for the World Cup). I want them to lose; they will not go to the World Cup, and another African country must go,” he stated.

He added, “It’s not that [I don’t like Nigeria]. I give the energy you give, they don’t like us and we don’t like them, that is all. It is not personal. It’s like [the rivalry] between [Kaiser] Chiefs and [Orlando] Pirates.”

Nigeria will face Gabon in the continental playoff in November. A victory would set up a final match against either Congo DR or Cameroon, determining the African representative for the intercontinental playoff.