3 months ago
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Who: South Africa vs Nigeria
What: CAF qualifiers for FIFA 2026 World Cup
Where: Free State Stadium successful Bloemfontein, Free State province, South Africa
When: Tuesday astatine 6pm (16:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll person each the build-up connected Al Jazeera Sport from 13:30 GMT successful beforehand of our unrecorded substance commentary stream.
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Nigeria question to South Africa looking to get their FIFA World Cup 2026 Confederation of African Football (CAF) qualifying chances backmost connected way against the Group C leaders.
Nigeria, the three-time African champions, are presently 3rd successful the group, but they could determination arsenic precocious arsenic 2nd with a triumph connected Tuesday successful Bloemfontein and support live their country’s qualifying hopes.
Making the Super Eagles’ task each the harder is that South Africa are unbeaten astatine location during the radical signifier with victories against Benin (2-1), Zimbabwe (3-1) and Lesotho (3-0).
Here is each to cognize astir the high-stakes matchup betwixt 2 of Africa’s astir high-profile footballing nations:
Where bash South Africa and Nigeria presently basal successful Group C?
After 7 matches, South Africa person opened up a wide points spread betwixt themselves and the 5 different teams successful the group:
- South Africa: 16 points (+8 GD)
- Benin: 11 points (0 GD)
- Nigeria: 10 points (+2 GD)
- Rwanda: 8 points (-1 GD)
- Lesotho: 6 points (-4 GD)
- Zimbabwe: 4 points (-5 GD)
How galore African teams volition suffice for the FIFA World Cup 2026?
African World Cup qualifying is arranged into 9 groups of six nations.
The 9 CAF radical winners unafraid nonstop introduction to the World Cup 2026 portion the 4 champion runners-up volition enactment successful an intercontinental playoff for the anticipation of securing a 10th spot astatine the tournament.
Of the 9 African groups, lone Morocco person already qualified for adjacent year’s World Cup finals successful North America.
CAF World Cup 2026 qualification dates:
- First circular (November 15, 2023, to October 14): Group signifier features 54 teams.
- Second circular (November 10-18): Four champion radical runners-up play successful semifinal-final format. Winners vie successful interconfederation playoff for imaginable 10th African World Cup spot.
South Africa’s Aubrey Modiba, left, and his teammates are coming disconnected an awesome 3-0 triumph against Lesotho connected September 5, 2025, successful Bloemfontein and pb Group C by 5 points with 2 matches remaining [Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]Could Nigeria inactive suffice for the FIFA World Cup 2026?
Nigeria could inactive scope the World Cup finals, but they volition beryllium babelike connected different teams to decorativeness apical of their group.
They request to triumph against leaders South Africa (Matchday 8), past unafraid victories successful their last 2 matches (Matchday 9 and 10) against Lesotho and Benin and anticipation South Africa suffer 1 of their last 2 games to adjacent person a mathematical accidental of straight qualifying arsenic the Group C winners.
If South Africa was to suffer 1 of their last 2 matches and Nigeria wins both, the teams would beryllium tied connected 19 points astatine the extremity of the archetypal circular with the radical victor being decided connected extremity difference. If they are tied connected extremity difference, past the 2 teams’ head-to-head grounds would beryllium a origin successful deciding the radical winner.
If Nigeria finished 2nd successful Group C, they could perchance suffice arsenic 1 of the 4 champion runners-up for the intercontinental playoff. If they won the playoff, they would beryllium admitted to the World Cup finals arsenic the 10th African team.
Team news: South Africa
Head manager Hugo Broos volition beryllium without his archetypal squad defenders Nyiko Mobbie and Thabo Brendon Moloisane aft some were injured against Lesotho connected Friday. Kaizer Chiefs’ Thabiso Monyane has been called up arsenic a imaginable replacement for Mobbie against Nigeria.
Burnley guardant Lyle Foster, who scored and assisted successful the 3-0 location triumph implicit Lesotho, is again expected to pb the enactment against Nigeria.
Team news: Nigeria
Head manager Eric Chelle volition beryllium without his talismanic striker Victor Osimhen, who was ruled retired of the South Africa fixture aft suffering a chin bruise during a 1-0 triumph implicit Rwanda connected Friday.
Osimhen, who plays for the Turkish broadside Galatasaray, was considered the biggest extremity menace for the Super Eagles, and his lack creates a enactment dilemma for Chelle, who is tipped to spell with Tolu Arokodare to pb the line, though Cyriel Dessers and Samuel Chukwueze would besides beryllium successful contention.
In Osimhen’s absence, Moses Simon, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi could each beryllium deployed further guardant to adhd attacking punch to the lineup.
Nigeria’s prima guardant Victor Osimhen did not marque the travel to South Africa owed to wounded [File: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]When did South Africa past suffice for the FIFA World Cup finals?
South Africa person appeared successful the FIFA World Cup finals connected 3 occasions: 1998, 2002 and 2010.
The past clip the Bafana Bafana successfully qualified for the World Cup done the CAF qualifiers was successful 2002. In 2010, they were awarded automatic introduction arsenic the tourney hosts.
How galore FIFA World Cup finals person Nigeria reached?
Nigeria person been to six FIFA World Cup finals but missed retired connected the astir caller tourney successful Qatar successful 2022.
When was the past clip the 2 sides met successful South Africa?
The past clip South Africa and Nigeria met successful Bloemfontein was during a competitory fixture astatine the 2019 AFCON qualifiers with the Super Eagles winning the distant fixture 2-1.
Lyle Foster scores South Africa’s 2nd extremity against Lesotho successful their World Cup CAF qualifiers Group C lucifer connected September 5, 2025, successful Bloemfontein [Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]Possible starting lineups:
South Africa: Williams (goalkeeper); Mdunyelwa, Ndamane, Monyane, Modiba; Mokoena, Mbatha; Nkota, Mbule, Appollis; Foster
Nigeria: Nwabali (goalkeeper); Aina, Fredrick, Bassey, Onyemaechi; Onyedika, Ndidi, Iwobi; Simon; Lookman, Arokodare
Head-to-head
South Africa and Nigeria person played 13 times since 2004.
Nigeria person won six times portion South Africa person lone 1 victory.
The sides person played retired six draws.
Last 5 matches:
South Africa
W-W-W-W-W (all competitions, past effect connected the right)
Nigeria
D-W-D-D-W
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