Broos: “Nigeria Hates Playing Us”
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos believes that Nigeria doesn’t like playing against his team because they have become the better side.
The two teams will face off in what will be a feisty FIFA World Cup qualifying match at Toyota Stadium on 13 September.
Broos’s Perspective on the Match
This match will be Bafana Bafana’s second at the same venue in four days, following their game against Lesotho four days before.
Broos expressed his surprise at Nigeria’s current position in the group, as he had expected a much tighter race between the two teams.
Currently, Bafana Bafana sits at the top of their qualifying group with 13 points from six matches, while Nigeria is in fourth place with seven points from the same number of matches. Rwanda, which Nigeria plays on 6 September, is in second place with eight points.
Broos noted that Nigeria hasn’t performed to the level he expected, which is why they are so far behind. “I expected for this game that we should be very much closer to each other, one or two or three points difference and they in front of us or we in front of them,” he said.
He added that the unexpected situation doesn’t mean the competition is over.
Broos’s Confidence in His Team
Despite Nigeria’s struggles, Broos remains wary of their individual talent. “I think everyone knows what Nigeria is,” he stated. “Nigeria is power, it is quality individuals—[Ademola] Lookman, [Victor] Osimhen, tough team.”
However, he feels that Bafana Bafana has the upper hand. “They don’t like to play against us, that I know, because we have become a better team,” Broos said.
He urged his team not to be complacent or intimidated. “It is up to us to take advantage of that and not start to be doubting and starting to be afraid of Nigeria, suddenly, why? I don’t see any reason.”
World Cup Qualification Scenarios
The outcome of this match has significant implications for World Cup qualification. While Bafana Bafana still faces an unresolved FIFA issue with the eligibility of player Teboho Mokoena from a previous match against Lesotho in March, wins in their next two matches would effectively eliminate Nigeria from qualifying for next year’s World Cup.
Nigeria has a maximum of 19 points they can achieve, whereas Bafana Bafana could reach 19 points if they win the two matches next month.
