Broos shrugs off revenge as Bafana take on Nigeria

Bafana Bafana will not be driven by revenge when they take on the Super Eagles of Nigeria in their 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier in Uyo on Friday. 

Bafana coach Hugo Broos said his team will focus on putting in a good performance in their mission to get the three points on offer at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Friday (9pm SA time), or at least a point. 

Broos has said he wants a minimum of four points from Bafana’s Group C matches against Nigeria and Zimbabwe in Bloemfontein on Tuesday (6pm), while six would be a bonus.

Nigeria knocked Bafana out of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Ivory Coast on penalties at the semifinal stage earlier in 2024 — a narrow, fighting defeat where the South Africans had the upper hand for large periods of the game that remains painful for South Africans. Broos, though, urged his players to focus on their preparations. 

“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, while adding even a loss in Uyo will not represent a disaster. 

“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.

“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.

“I think there will be changes as to how Nigeria play the match. There are changes with a new coach [Finidi George has replaced José Peseiro] — they will play differently than they did at Afcon.” 

Bafana defender Nkosinathi Sibisi and striker Iqraam Rayners agreed the South Africans need to show strong mentality to return from Nigeria with a positive result. 

“Games likes these are difficult but we go with the right mentality because I can see we have good players — everyone believes in themselves. If we can get a win, I will be happy and from there we will focus on the next game,” Rayners said. 

“The coach said he wants at least four points from the two matches against Nigeria and Zimbabwe but you never know, we can get all six points.

“It will be big for me as a boy coming out of the ghetto in Cape Town because I have never played qualifiers, but I have the opportunity now to take the team to the World Cup.”

Sibisi said playing for a place in Mexico, Canada and the US in 2026 is all the motivation Bafana need.

“It is a dream for everyone to be part of the World Cup — with the good players we have we will be able to compete and hopefully we will make it there.”

Bafana are in second place in group C on three points with Rwanda on four.

The top teams from the nine African groups qualify for the first 48-team World Cup.

Nigeria's poor start, drawing matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, has left the group wide open.