The Super Eagles have another edge over South Africa in terms of recent statistics, which sports247.ng reports point to a likely away victory for Nigeria at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg on Saturday.
Aside head-to-head tabulations that see the eagles with seven victories, four draws and only two defeats against South Africa, there is also the collation of recent achievements by both sides.
The Eagles hold aloft on all fronts at par with Bafana Bafana, who their own pundits fear will have a big task to collect three points against a Nigerian side currently on a high in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
After losing their opening Group E match to Bafana in Uyo last year, the Eagles have bounced back in style, top of the standings, and favourites to qualify as winners of the pool.
Interestingly, Nigeria have scored 10 goals in four group matches, and are the second highest scoring team in the qualifiers behind Egypt, who have bagged 12 goals in Group J.
Six of the Eagles’ 10 goals in the group were scored away from home, as they were 3-0 winners against Seychelles in Victoria and then got a 3-2 victory over Libya in Sfax last month.
The Eagles have scored five goals in the first half of their recent matches and as many in the second period.
The three-time African champions have scored four goals in the first 20 minutes of matches, en route to winning three matches in a row.
The Eagles average a goal every 36 minutes in the qualifiers, such that Bafana will have arguably their most difficult task to keep another clean sheet on Saturday.
Above all, South Africa have only won twice, lost seven times and drawn four matches against the Eagles.
However, it was back in August 2014 the last time Bafana Bafana lost to Nigeria, a 3-1 defeat in a 2014 CHAN group game in Cape Town.
Since that loss, both teams have clashed four times, of which the South Africans won once and drew the other three.
In one of those draws, the Eagles forced a 2-2 end in front of their fans in Uyo in November 2014, which eliminated Nigeria from the 2015 AFCON.
The Eagles could not make it to the championship in Equatorial Guinea as they needed a win to qualify, so Bafana played spoiler back then.
Nonetheless, it was August 11, 2013 when the Eagles last beat South Africa at their back yard, as Nigeria won 2-0 during that year’s Mandela Challenge game in Durban.
