The Super Eagles look to revive their 2026 World Cup qualification hopes when they take on South Africa on Friday (today) night for their match-day 3 encounter at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, The PRIMANEWS reports.
Securing a shocking 2-0 win over the Eagles at the same venue in 2017 means the visitors would head into the encounter with bloated egos, looking to repeat the historic feat that still aches the minds of Nigerian football lovers.
Everyone expected qualification to be a summer stroll for Nigeria after being drawn against South Africa, Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Benin Republic, but the three-time African champions made a stuttering start, mustering two points in as many matches to stay third on the log behind Rwanda and South Africa in first and second positions on four and three points respectively.
Obviously, the Bafana Bafana are no longer intimidated by the array of stars paraded by Nigeria and usually take on them head-on, as was the case at the 2023 AFCON, where Nigeria managed to outwit them 4-2 on penalties in the semi-finals following a pulsating 1-1 stalemate in 120 minutes of football.
Coach Hugo Broos and his charges believe they were the better team in Ivory Coast and were only unlucky to lose the match. They see today’s encounter as another opportunity to settle scores, and the Eagles should know better than banking on home advantage that did them no good seven years ago.
Having missed out on Qatar 2020 World Cup finals, the Eagles know a successive failure will leave Nigerians in untold anguish, and the only option available is to win, as a loss or draw will leave their qualification hopes in the balance.
Finidi has the personnel to make a winning start to his stay in the teams saddle, with his attack boasting some of the best strikers in the recently concluded 2023/2024 European league season. In the absence of Victor Osimhen, Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface and Ademola Lookman, whose hat-trick won the UEFA Europa League for Atalanta, can cause collateral damage on a good day.
While Finidi has been going about preparations quietly, the 53-year-old knows that nothing less than victory against the visitors is acceptable, regardless of the fact that South Africa have only beaten the Eagles once in a competitive game, incidentally at same venue of today’s crucial clash.
“We have trained well, the players understand the task. I trust my players and their quality. It’s a must win game,” Finidi said during the pre-match interview.
“The AFCON win against South Africa is gone, this is a new game. We have our plans.”
The UEFA Champions League winner added, “I don’t have anything to prove. I am relaxed, it is football. I want to win, I understand the tasks. I am not scared, I played at the highest and we are going for a win.”
However, Finidi’s South African counterpart, Broos, has been the exact opposite, believing his team is better and will have the upper hand, while stressing the importance of making it to the 2026 World Cup.
“Being qualified for big tournaments like the AFCON and the World Cup is very important for the country,” Broos was quoted as saying by Citizen.
“You could see what happened after our third place at the AFCON; everyone was ‘wow, look at South Africa.’ It is important for South African football and also for South African players; suddenly, there is interest in them.
“So, it is very important that after a good performance in the AFCON, we also qualify for the World Cup. If you don’t, you go back to where you were six or seven months ago. We believe in it, and we know we are able to do it (qualify).
“Nigeria were finalists at the AFCON; they have players in the best club competitions in Europe, but on the other side, we also saw what we could do against them at the AFCON,” Broos added.
“With a bit of luck, I think we would have been in the final, and not Nigeria. I think we were the better team in the semifinal; we could have won, so we don’t have to be afraid.”
South Africa had some issues with their chartered flight to Uyo; a delayed departure meant they had to have an unplanned overnight stay in Port Harcourt.
