South Africa and Benin will have a top-of-the-table group C clash in the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers when they meet at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on the evening of Tuesday.
South Africa claimed top spot in group C on Friday evening when they defeated Lesotho 2-0 in Polokwane. Bafana Bafana had to endure a frustrating first hour of the match before goals from Relebohile Mofokeng and Jayden Adams took them to victory.
Nigeria’s 2-0 away win over former leaders Rwanda in Kigali on Friday, the results have seen group C take a more definable shape.
South Africa are top with 10 points, with Benin (8), Rwanda (7), Nigeria (6) and even Lesotho (5) still just about in contention for qualification, while Zimbabwe (3) appear destined for the wooden spoon.
In head-to-head stats, Benin and South Africa have met in just two previous matches. The most recent was a World Cup qualifier from earlier in this group C campaign, which Bafana Bafana won 2-1 in Durban in November 2023, while the first was a 2004 Africa Cup of Nations group-stage match won 2-0 by SA.
Credit: supersport.com
