Bafana Bafana head coach, Hugo Broos has said he is surprised at Nigeria’s poor start in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, acknowledging that the Super Eagles’ struggles are unexpected given their quality.
Speaking about the current standings, Broos noted that Nigeria’s winless run in the first four matches—leaving them fifth in Group C with just three points—is uncharacteristic of a team with their pedigree.
“First of all, I don’t know what happens in Nigeria. For me, it’s a surprise that they’re already four points behind us. They play only draws, I think, and lost also.”
However, despite their poor form, the Belgian tactician believes Nigeria has the talent and experience to turn things around when the qualifiers resume in March.
“So this is not Nigeria. The quality is too much there to be where they are now. So they will come back. They will come back but they are four points behind us. So they have to win twice more than we to pass over us.”
While Nigeria remains a major contender, Broos insisted that South Africa is not solely focused on the Super Eagles as their biggest rivals, pointing out that the group is still wide open.
“And the rest, yeah, we started with it. Lesotho, Benin, Rwanda, Mozambique. You have to play those games. It’s not before, okay, well, today we win. No. And they are still in the running too. All the teams are still in the running.”
Nigeria’s qualification hopes hang in the balance, with crucial matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe up next.
Can the Super Eagles recover and keep their World Cup dream alive? Only the March International break will tell.
