South Africa’s Bafana Bafana will face the Super Eagles in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Friday, but head coach Hugo Broos insists that revenge is not on their agenda. The two teams clashed at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast, where Nigeria ousted South Africa on penalties in the semifinals.
As the teams prepare for their showdown at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Broos emphasized that the focus is solely on securing a positive result. “We want to have a good result against Nigeria because this is a qualifier for the World Cup and we don’t think about revenge,” Broos said.
Broos acknowledged the importance of the match but stressed that a loss would not be catastrophic. “Losing the game should not be a disaster because after that we still have six games to play. But I would rather not have a defeat to Nigeria.”
A confident Hugo Broos noted that both sides are well-acquainted with each other’s strengths. “We know all about them but they also know all about us. I think they will not start the game with the same mentality they had at AFCON because they know how strong we are.”
Despite their AFCON success winning bronze medal in Ivory Coast, Broos urged his players to remain grounded. “We have to use our status of being the team that finished third at AFCON but at the same time we must stay humble. We still have to work, fight, and produce the same mentality we showed at AFCON.”
