Gould Warns Bafana Against Nigeria
In a warning to the Bafana Bafana team, former captain Morgan Gould has advised them to “play the match and not the occasion” when they host Nigeria in a crucial FIFA World Cup qualifying match next week.
Match Context and Significance
Bafana Bafana are set to face the Super Eagles at Toyota Stadium on Tuesday. A win is essential to strengthen their chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the United States, Canada, and Mexico will co-host.
The team is currently leading Group C with 13 points from six matches, putting their destiny firmly in their own hands.
Gould’s Advice and Past Experience
Gould, who once captained the national team, believes that coach Hugo Broos’ side should approach the game against Nigeria with the same mindset as their match against Lesotho at the same venue on Friday.
He emphasized the long-standing rivalry between the two nations, noting, “I think one of the biggest games right now, Nigeria vs South Africa, and the rivalry goes deeper than anything else. Our fellow brothers from Africa don’t want to lose against us, we don’t want to lose against them. We are on the up and up, and they saw that in the AFCON we are not pushovers.”
The 42-year-old defender was part of the Bafana Bafana side that painfully last lost a World Cup qualifying match at home, a 2-0 defeat to Senegal at Peter Mokaba Stadium in 2017.
This match was a replay ordered by FIFA after the original game, a win for South Africa, was nullified due to Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey being found guilty of match-fixing.
Gould, who earned 10 caps and scored one goal, has personal experience playing in a World Cup, having been a member of the 2010 squad that hosted the tournament.
That year, South Africa made history as the first host nation to be eliminated in the group stages.
“Nigeria is Nigeria. If you are playing Lesotho, take the same mentality, put it together and let’s go forward,” Gould continued.
“Yes, the rival is a good thing; they mustn’t play the occasion, they must play the game. If the game requires them to be robust, let them be robust. Let’s dance to the music they play.”
