Bafana Bafana were held to a 1-1 draw by Nigeria in a tense 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier played at the Free State Stadium on Tuesday night.
It was billed as an epic showdown between the two long-time adversaries, and it certainly lived up to expectations with the two teams throwing everything they had at each other for the full 90 minutes, to the delight of the passionate fans in the stands.
Own goal
Coach Hugo Broos’s charges were the first to put their name on the stadium scoreboard after Nigeria’s William Troost-Ekong beat his own goalkeeper to put the home side in the lead in the 25th minute.
Nigeria equalised on the stroke of half-time through Calvin Bassey.
Television replays later showed that Bassey did not head the ball and actually used his hand to guide it past South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and into the back of the net. The match officials did not spot the handball and the goal stood.
The two teams continued to throw everything they had at each other in the second half, with several flying tackles and physical challenges dominating play.
But in the end, the two sides had to settle for a share of the spoils.
Top of the group
The result keeps Bafana Bafana at the top of Group C with 17 points.
The final two rounds of qualifiers will be played next month, with Bafana Bafana very much in control of their own destiny.
“The performance of my team today, in this game, makes me enormously proud. It may not have been good football at times, not at all, but the way they fought for every ball was nice to see for a coach,” Broos said.
Superior goal differential
The winners of the nine CAF groups will automatically qualify for next year’s tournament to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The four best group runners-up will participate in playoffs to determine which team will advance to the inter-confederation playoffs where a further spot is available.
Realistically, only South Africa or Benin can qualify from Group C based on the points they’ve accumulated to date and their superior goal differential to the chasing pack.
Bafana Bafana’s final two group qualifiers are away against already-eliminated Zimbabwe (6 October) and at home against Rwanda (13 October).
Kick-off times are yet to be confirmed.
Bafana Bafana last played at a FIFA World Cup in 2010 when South Africa hosted the tournament.
They last qualified for a World Cup in 2002 in South Korea and Japan.
Will Bafana Bafana qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
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