African rivals Nigeria and South Africa will clash in the third week of the CAF World Cup qualifiers this Friday night at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo. Nigeria, currently fourth in Group C with two points from two matches, will host South Africa, who are on three points and just one point behind group leaders Rwanda.
This encounter comes exactly four months after their dramatic semi-final clash in the Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria triumphed in a penalty shootout after a 120-minute deadlock. Nigeria subsequently lost the final to hosts Ivory Coast, marking only their second defeat in competitive fixtures since March 2023.
Now under the guidance of Finidi George, who replaced Portuguese manager Jose Peseiro earlier this year, Nigeria is aiming for their seventh World Cup qualification. The Super Eagles have featured in three of the last four World Cups, missing only the most recent tournament in Qatar.
George’s tenure began with consecutive 1-1 draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe in the World Cup qualifiers. Additionally, his team secured a 2-1 win over Ghana but suffered a 2-0 defeat to Mali in international friendlies this March.
Historically, Nigeria has dominated South Africa, with four wins and five draws in their last ten encounters. However, Nigeria will need to be at their best to overcome Bafana Bafana’s solid defense, especially given the absence of key players like Napoli forward Victor Osimhen, who is sidelined due to injury. George has also opted not to call up Ahmed Musa and veteran defender Kenneth Omeruo, while Nathan Tella is excused for personal reasons. NPFL rising stars Kenneth Igboke and Sodiq Ismael, along with Rizespor midfielder Ibrahim Olawoyin, have been called up instead.
South Africa, under coach Hugo Broos, have shown remarkable improvement, breaking into the top ten ranked teams in Africa following their third-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations. Their only loss in the last eight matches was against Nigeria in February. In their World Cup qualifying campaign, South Africa started with a 2-1 win over Benin but lost 2-0 to Rwanda.
Key to South Africa’s progress has been their robust defense, which conceded only three goals in seven AFCON matches, keeping five clean sheets. They are aiming to reach the World Cup for the fourth time in their history, and their first since hosting the tournament in 2010. However, they will be without experienced defender Grant Kekana due to a hamstring injury. In his place, Kaizer Chiefs defender Given Msimango has been called up, along with Orlando Pirates’ Nkosinathi Sibisi and FCSB’s Siyabonga Ngezana.
Nigeria’s potential starting lineup features Nwabali; Osayi-Samuel, Ajayi, Tanimu, Bassey; Ndidi, Onyedika; Lookman, Iwobi, Chukwueze; Boniface. South Africa’s likely starters include Williams; Mobbie, Mvala, Ngezana, Modiba; Mokoena, Sithole; Tau, Zwane; Appollis; Rayners.
This high-stakes match promises to be a thrilling contest as both teams vie for crucial points in their quest for World Cup qualification.
