Bafana Bafana will renew their rivalry with the Super Eagles of Nigeria as they bid to attain the 2026 World Cup finals within the USA, Canada and Mexico.
South Africa have been drawn in Group C alongside Nigeria, Benin, Rwanda and Southern African rivals Zimbabwe and Lesotho on the draw, which befell within the Ivory Coast on Thursday.
The winners of every of the 9 teams will qualify for an expanded World Cup finals, with 48 groups set to compete within the event in 2026.
As effectively because the 9 computerized locations for the group winners, the 4 greatest runners up will go into a play-off system the place yet another African nation may qualify for the finals.
The best route, nevertheless, is clearly to win your group, and Bafana have gotten themselves a troublesome attract Nigeria, who will little doubt be decided to make up for simply lacking out to Ghana in qualification for the 2022 Fifa World Cup finals in Qatar.
Bafana Bafana have solely ever overwhelmed Nigeria as soon as in a aggressive match, Stuart Baxter’s side winning 2-0 in Nigeria en route to qualifying for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria received their revenge on the 2019 Afcon finals, beating Baxter’s South Africa 2-1 within the quarterfinals in Cairo.
Bafana and Nigeria have met 4 instances earlier than in World Cup qualifying. Way again in 1992, Nigeria beat South African 4-0 en route to making it to the 1994 Fifa World Cup within the USA, with the opposite sport in January 1993 at FNB Stadium ending in a goalless draw.
Nigeria additionally beat South Africa twice on the best way to qualifying for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, although Bafana Bafana mechanically certified for that event as hosts.
The present Super Eagles aspect accommodates its common array of star names from throughout Europe’s prime leagues, together with Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and Leicester City attacker Kelechi Iheanacho.
Bafana have performed Zimbabwe and Lesotho on many events however have solely as soon as confronted Benin, beating them 2-0 of their opening match of the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Tunisia.
And Bafana have by no means performed the opposite member of Group C, Rwanda, in both a pleasant or aggressive match.
The 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers begin in November.
2026 Fifa World Cup qualifying draw:
Group A – Egypt, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Djibouti
Group B – Senegal, Congo DR, Mauritania, Togo, Sudan, South Sudan
Group C – Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Lesotho
Group D – Cameroon, Cape Verde, Angola, Libya, Eswatini, Mauritius
Group E – Morocco, Zambia, Congo-Brazzaville, Tanzania, Niger, Eritrea
Group F – Ivory Coast, Gabon, Kenya, The Gambia, Burundi, Seychelles
Group G – Algeria, Guinea, Uganda, Mozambique, Botswana, Somalia
Group H – Tunisia, Equitorial Guinea, Namibia, Malawi, Liberia, Sao Tome e Principe
Group I – Mali, Ghana, Madagascar, Central African Republic, Comoros, Chad
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