Broos: It Will Be Miracle If We Don’t Qualify

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos believes his team has a “grand opportunity” to secure a crucial victory against Nigeria in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match on Tuesday.

The game, held at Toyota Stadium, is a vital step for South Africa to book a spot in the finals, which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the USA next year.

Bafana Bafana placed themselves in an excellent position with a commanding 3-0 victory over Lesotho on Friday. Nigeria responded the following day with an unconvincing home win against Rwanda.

The Super Eagles played much of that game without star striker Victor Osimhen, who has since been ruled out of the clash with Bafana Bafana due to an injury.

Broos’s Assessment of the Match

Despite Nigeria’s recent struggles, Broos stressed that his team should not underestimate their opponents. “It is a big opportunity we have on Tuesday,” Broos said. “We all know that if we win the game, we have qualified [if other results go Bafana Bafana’s way]. Of course, it is not mathematically done, but it should be a miracle if we shouldn’t qualify.”

Broos acknowledged the quality of the Nigerian squad, noting that many of their players compete in top leagues abroad. “When you see the players they have, they play abroad in big teams. So, that means there is quality. But we don’t have fear to play that game of Tuesday.”

The coach also took a moment to reflect on Bafana’s only loss in the qualifying campaign, a 2-0 defeat to Rwanda in November 2023.

Broos described the playing conditions as “scandalous” due to a waterlogged pitch, a situation he believes was a major factor in the loss. “I repeat again, it was scandalous to play the World Cup qualifier in such a pitch,” he stated.

In the African qualifiers, only the group winners automatically qualify for the World Cup. The four best-placed runners-up will get a second chance via a play-off round, making every point in the group stage crucial.