South Africa’s head coach, Hugo Broos, believes Nigeria’s Super Eagles can bounce back and secure positive outcomes in the upcoming matches of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The Super Eagles have faced a tough beginning, having failed to clinch a victory in their first four qualifying encounters.
Despite this rocky start, there is a growing sense of optimism surrounding the team’s potential for improvement. The Super Eagles have managed to scrape through with draws against teams such as Lesotho and Zimbabwe, as well as a hard-fought stalemate against South Africa.
However, their campaign hit a snag with a narrow 2-1 defeat to the Benin Republic, leaving them with only three points in total. This disappointing situation positions Nigeria four points behind the group leaders—South Africa, Rwanda, and Benin.
With only the top team guaranteed automatic entry into the World Cup, the Super Eagles find themselves in a precarious position, sitting second from the bottom in a competitive six-team group.
Recognizing the gravity of their situation, the Eagles understand that securing victories in their upcoming fixtures is vital to enhancing their chances of qualification.
To address the challenges currently faced by the team, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has brought aboard Franco-Malian coach Eric Chelle, who led the Mali national team to the quarter-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
As the Super Eagles gear up for crucial matches, they are grappling with injury concerns that could impact their performance. Key players, including William Troost-Ekong, Semi Ajayi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, and Raphael Onyedika, are all facing uncertainties regarding their fitness for the upcoming clashes.
Nonetheless, Coach Chelle is buoyed by a roster brimming with attacking prowess. The team features standout players like Victor Osimhen, Victor Boniface, and Ademola Lookman, the reigning African Footballer of the Year.
Broos, for his part, has expressed his astonishment at Nigeria’s current standing, remarking that he believes in their capacity to stage a comeback by the time the next international window rolls around in March. He emphasized that all teams in the group still harbour hopes of qualifying for the World Cup.
“I am surprised that Nigeria is four points behind us because they have too much quality,” Broos said in an interview with ScoreNigeria.
“I believe they will come back by the next window (March). All the teams in our group are still in the running to qualify for the World Cup.”
For the Super Eagles of Nigeria, the path to redemption kicks off next month with pivotal matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, where victories will be indispensable to keeping their World Cup hopes alive.
Meanwhile, South Africa will host Lesotho on March 17 at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, followed by another crucial fixture against the Benin Republic, where they will take on the role of the home team.
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