Nigeria’s diminishing 2026 World Cup hopes could face a decisive setback on Tuesday as the Super Eagles travel to South Africa for the Group C fixture at the Toyota Stadium.
With nine points remaining to be played for, Eric Chelle’s team trail Bafana Bafana by six points going into the matchday eight clash, heightening the significance of Tuesday’s game for the three-time African champions, who are at risk of missing successive finals.
If Nigeria end Group C as winners when this is over, even the most optimistic fans would be astounded by any remarkable turnaround in fortunes.
The Super Eagles enter the seventh match of qualifying with 10 points out of a possible 21, having been let down by their string of draws (four), with the West African team’s only loss so far being their 2-1 defeat by Benin in June 2024.
The West African nation’s inability to score decisive goals leaves them trailing Hubo Broos’s team by six points, with no margin for error now.
Losing in Bloemfontein could mean the three-time African champions miss out on automatic qualification; however, even finishing second does not guarantee Chelle’s team a spot as one of the four best runners-up in the African qualifying section.
Bafana Bafana aim to thwart the visiting nation’s chances on Tuesday, with the top-ranked team five points ahead of Benin and six in front of Nigeria after seven matchdays.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
