Hugo Broos Confident Nigeria Will Help South Africa's 2026 World Cup Qualification Bid

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South Africa’s head coach, Hugo Broos, has expressed optimism that Nigeria will play a crucial role in helping his team secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup. Broos’ comments came after South Africa extended their lead in Group C of the qualifiers with a 2-0 victory over Lesotho at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday evening.

Meanwhile, Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a 2-0 win against Rwanda in Kigali, courtesy of a brace from Victor Osimhen. Despite the victory, the Super Eagles remain four points behind group leaders South Africa.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Broos emphasized that Nigeria, under coach Eric Chelle, can no longer afford to drop points in the qualifiers and will be highly motivated to win their remaining matches. This, he believes, will indirectly benefit South Africa’s quest for qualification.

“A few days ago, I mentioned that there’s a team in the group that could help us significantly, and that’s Nigeria. You saw today they defeated Rwanda,” Broos stated. “They can’t afford to lose any more points. They’ll fight to win every game, and with us currently four points ahead, it’s up to us to maintain our focus. If we do our part, Nigeria will help us—you’ll see.”