South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has outlined the points tally he believes will secure Bafana Bafana’s place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as they battle Nigeria for the top spot in Group C of the African qualifiers.
With only one automatic qualification spot available in the group, competition is fierce. Nigeria, three-time African champions, have struggled in their campaign so far, failing to secure a win in their first four matches.
Meanwhile, South Africa remains well-positioned to qualify for their first World Cup since hosting the tournament in 2010.
Currently, Bafana Bafana sits second in the group with seven points, level with Rwanda and Benin, while Nigeria languishes in fifth place with three draws and a defeat.
The expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams has given Africa nine automatic qualification spots, with each group winner securing a place at the tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Having led South Africa to an unbeaten qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Broos has mapped out his team’s route to the World Cup. They will host Lesotho in Polokwane on March 17 before traveling to Ivory Coast to face Benin a week later.
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The Belgian coach believes winning both fixtures will bring South Africa closer to the estimated 17 points needed to edge out Nigeria.
“We have seven points now, and if we add six in March, that takes us to 13. Then we have four more games left, totaling 12 points. I think 16-17 points should be enough to qualify,” Broos told reporters, as quoted by Africa Football.
“All teams are still in the race, so March will be crucial in shaping the group’s outcome. Winning against Lesotho and Benin is vital for our qualification hopes.”
Broos also urged South African fans to manage their expectations if the team qualifies, emphasizing that advancing beyond the group stage would be a realistic goal.
“We need to be realistic. If South Africa qualifies, we shouldn’t talk about quarter-finals or semi-finals,” Broos added.
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“Our ambition should be to progress past the group stage. After that, facing teams like Argentina or Brazil would be an incredible challenge, but we can still be proud of our journey.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria has appointed Malian coach Éric Chelle to revive their faltering World Cup hopes. The Super Eagles will face Rwanda and Zimbabwe in March, with both matches crucial to turning their campaign around.
Source: The Athletic NG
