Linda “Mercedes-Benz” Buthelezi, a key figure in Bafana Bafana’s midfield during their victorious 1996 Africa Cup of Nations campaign, is confident that South Africa will emerge victorious against Nigeria in Wednesday’s semi-final clash.
Buthelezi believes that South Africa holds the upper hand against Nigeria in the upcoming match. Despite Nigeria’s historically dominant record against Bafana Bafana, Buthelezi feels that the Super Eagles, filled with overseas-based players, might underestimate the South African team.
Nigeria have won seven, drawn five, and lost two of their 14 encounters against South Africa. However, recent matches between the two sides have been more evenly contested, with a win for each team and four draws in their last six encounters.
Reflecting on South Africa’s journey in the tournament, Buthelezi acknowledges their slow start with a defeat against Mali but highlights their resurgence with a 4-0 victory over Namibia and a draw against Tunisia. He notes that South Africa has shown resilience in the knockout stages, despite needing penalties against Cape Verde and benefiting from opponents’ missed chances.
Buthelezi believes that Nigeria’s perception of superiority over South Africa might work against them. He praises Bafana Bafana’s hunger for success and their unity as a team, which he considers crucial for their success.
“You know, what I’ve noticed about the Nigerians is that they’ve always felt they are better than us when it comes to football. It’s in their nature and they can’t help themselves,” Buthelezi said.
“I’m quite sure in their minds they just can’t imagine themselves losing to a South African team that doesn’t have a lot of big-name stars.
“But they will meet something different in this group of Bafana players. They [SA] are hungry for success, and the belief now is quite high compared to when they started their tournament.
“I’ve been impressed with the way they play. They didn’t play that well against Cape Verde, but they have done well in the other games, playing as a unit. That will be key,” he was quoted on Sowetan live.
While Nigeria’s squad consists mainly of overseas-based players, South Africa boasts a well-balanced team with players from various leagues worldwide. Buthelezi emphasizes the physical presence of South African players, particularly in defense and midfield, which he believes will be advantageous against Nigeria’s tall and physical players.
“We have tall players at the back, Sphephelo Sithole in the midfield and Evidence Makgopa upfront [are also tall], and the rest of our guys are short,” he said.
“Our team has a good mixture of players that allows us to compete in the air and also play on the ground.
“Also, Nigerian football is not where it used to be before when they had players such as [1990s star] Sunday Oliseh.”
