South Africa close on 2026 World Cup, but Nigeria left sweating

South Africa gully 1-1 with Nigeria successful Group C of the CAF qualifiers for the FIFA 2026 World Cup.

South Africa moved a measurement person to the FIFA 2026 World Cup with a 1-1 location gully with Nigeria, who are near facing a nervy last 2 qualifying matches successful the Confederation of African Football (CAF) radical stages.

Bafana Bafana took the pb successful the Group C brushwood astatine Free State Stadium successful Bloemfontein, South Africa connected Tuesday erstwhile Super Eagles skipper William Troost-Ekong enactment done his ain nett successful the 25th minute.

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Calvin Bassey levelled for Nigeria erstwhile helium headed location successful the last infinitesimal of the archetypal half.

The effect moved South Africa six points wide astatine the apical of the radical with 2 games to play.

Nigeria climbed to 2nd spot up of Benin, who played Lesotho successful the day’s aboriginal game, connected extremity difference.

The Super Eagles look Lesotho distant connected October 6 earlier hosting Benin astatine location connected October 13.

If Nigeria neglect to decorativeness successful the apical 2 successful their group, they volition not suffice for the World Cup.

A first-place finish, which looks inevitable for South Africa with games against Zimbabwe and Rwanda to come, assures automatic qualification.

Second spot offers the accidental to beryllium among the 4 champion runners-up successful the 9 groups of CAF qualifying groups that volition advancement to FIFA’s intercontinental playoffs for the 2026 finals.

Egypt manager celebrates contempt World Cup wait

Egypt’s bid to unafraid World Cup qualification was enactment connected clasp aft a 0-0 gully against Burkina Faso successful a level Group A brushwood successful Ouagadougou connected Tuesday.

Hossam Hassan’s unbeaten broadside moved to 20 points and pb Group A by 5 points up of Burkina Faso, with 2 matches remaining successful the qualifiers.

With lone the radical winners qualifying automatically, the seven-time African champions request 2 points from their past 2 games to warrant their spot and a 4th quality astatine the World Cup. They volition look Djibouti and Guinea-Bissau successful October.

Egypt manager Hassan, however, celebrated the result, which moved his broadside 1 measurement person to reaching the 48-team tourney to beryllium held successful North America adjacent year.

“It’s a large time for the Egyptian people… I would similar to convey each subordinate for their efforts against a pugnacious squad that has players successful the Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1,” Hassan, the erstwhile Egypt striker who led them to the 1990 World Cup, told the On Sport channel.

“Despite playing successful Burkina Faso, we played positively and created large chances. At the aforesaid time, we maintained balance. We could person scored 1 oregon 2 goals earlier the end,” helium added.

Egypt suffered an aboriginal setback erstwhile Manchester City guardant Omar Marmoush was forced disconnected done wounded successful the ninth minute.

Their champion infinitesimal came successful the 67th infinitesimal erstwhile Mohamed Salah acceptable up Osama Faisal, but the substitute’s onslaught was ruled offside.

Egypt’s Trezeguet had the archetypal accidental of the game, but his effort was saved by Burkina Faso goalkeeper Herve Koffi.

The location broadside seldom attacked, with Sunderland guardant Bertrand Traore starring astir of their champion efforts.

Egypt went adjacent to grabbing a victor successful the last moments, but Mostafa Mohamed missed 2 chances.

Hassan, Egypt’s all-time apical scorer, volition beryllium the archetypal to pb his broadside to the World Cup some arsenic a subordinate and arsenic a coach.

The 59-year-old manager said: “My extremity was to manager the Egyptian nationalist team. I person ever dreamed of that. I privation to fulfil the fans’ imagination and unrecorded up to their trust.”