2026 World Cup qualifier: South Africa not focused on revenge against Nigeria – Hugo Broos

South Africa’s senior men’s national team coach, Hugo Broos, has stated that his team is not dwelling on their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations defeat as they prepare to face Nigeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Friday.

Earlier this year, during the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, South Africa and Nigeria clashed in the semi-finals. Nigeria emerged victorious in a penalty shootout, advancing to the final where they were eventually defeated by host nation Ivory Coast. South Africa, on the other hand, secured a bronze medal.

Despite the upcoming match being framed as a potential revenge scenario, Broos dismissed this notion during a press conference on Wednesday. He emphasized that their focus is solely on securing three points to bolster their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign.

“We want a good result against Nigeria because this is a World Cup qualifier, and we are not thinking about revenge,” said Broos.

Broos expressed confidence in his team’s prospects, noting that there are still several matches left in the qualification process for the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

“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. 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,” Broos added.

Broos also highlighted the importance of maintaining the same mentality and work ethic that earned them third place at AFCON. He stressed the need to stay humble and continue to work hard.

“We have to use our status of being the team that finished third at 2023 AFCON but we must stay humble. We still have to work, fight and produce the same mentality we showed at AFCON,” said Broos.

Currently, after two games, Bafana Bafana are second in Group C of the qualifiers, following a win against Benin and a loss against Rwanda. Nigeria is in third place with a single point from their two games.