Bafana Suffer A Blow Ahead Of Nigeria Clash

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has confirmed that defender Nyiko Mobbie will miss their upcoming match against Nigeria on Tuesday due to an injury sustained on Friday. 

Mobbie, who Zuko Mdunyelwa replaced after 15 minutes in their FIFA World Cup match qualifier as they beat Lesotho at Toyota Stadium, suffered an injury that will keep him sidelined for the crucial match against the Super Eagles.

Another player who sustained an injury during the game was Thabo Moloisane, who Khulumani Ndamane replaced in the second half. However, Broos reassured fans that Moloisane’s injury is not serious and he will be available for selection on Tuesday.

“It’s a pity for us that we have those injuries, and for Moloisane it’s not bad, but for Mobbie he is out,” Broos said. 

“So, we have to call someone else, of whom we have to decide in the next hour who will be.

“I will see who we call for the game on Tuesday, and we will call someone who has confidence, and I think he will arrive tomorrow (on Saturday), and what happened did happen, and it’s not like we’re panicking.

“I think that’s the only negative point of this game, but again, that can happen in the game. In the few minutes I saw a motivated and aggressive team of Lesotho, and that’s why we have those injuries.”

Despite the injury setback, Bafana remain top of Group C with 16 points, while Lesotho sit fifth with six points. 

A win against Super Eagles on Tuesday would see Bafana move closer to finishing on top of Group C and qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico will co-host. 

Likuena, on the other hand, will travel to Benin to face the country’s national team on Tuesday.

When asked about his pre-game preparations for the Likuenagame, Broos concluded by saying, “You know what, I didn’t do anything else than usual. I just prepared the players for the game and tried to win it. Again, you only win games on the pitch, and that’s what we did today.”