South Africa vs Nigeria: Five reasons why Bafana Bafana will beat Super Eagles

Bafana Bafana and Nigeria will clash in a World Cup qualifier at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday with the winner set to boost their qualification chances greatly.

A win for South Africa will edge them closer to a first World Cup since 2010 while dimming Nigeria’s hopes while victory for the Super Eagles will bring them back into the mix as they will be just three points of top spot.

That makes it a high stakes match for both sides but for Bafana Bafana, a win is needed given they will be playing at home and are in the driver’s seat in Group C.

So, what is likely to contribute to a win for Hugo Broos’ men?

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Bafana Bafana have enjoyed a huge backing when playing at Free State Stadium and should get the same on Tuesday against one of Africa’s biggest footballing nations.

Hugo Broos’ men have brought out their A-game when playing in front of their fans and this will be a key motivation towards a win for the hosts.

Broos’ Long Stay with His Team

Meanwhile, while Nigeria coach Eric Chelle is still getting to know his players, having arrived in January, Hugo Broos has been with Bafana Bafana since 2021.

That gives the South Africa coach an edge as he knows the strengths and weaknesses of his players while they also understand how he wants them to play, making it easy to execute the plan on the pitch.

Chelle is already facing questions over key decisions like the absence of William Troost-Ekong and how he will cope with Victor Osimhen’s absence but Broos has not such problems.

Nigeria Under Pressure, Bafana More Relaxed

The other thing that could play in South Africa’s favour is the fact that they head into the match with less pressure compared to their rivals.

While South Africa can afford to drop points, Nigeria must win as that is the only way they will stay in contention and with all that pressure and spotlight on them, they will come out to attack and that is when Bafana could strike.

Nwabali Familiarity, Osimhen Relief?

South Africa also have the advantage of knowing Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali very well as he plays in the PSL with Chippa United.

Nwabali has come up against Tuesday’s opponents on numerous occasions at club level and South Africa could take advantage of some of his weaknesses which have been identified in the league.

Meanwhile, Nigeria will be without striker Victor Osimhen, who did not travel due to an injury, and it is one less headache for coach Broos.

The Galatasaray striker would have given the Bafana defence a lot of trouble and although youngster Tolu Arokodare will likely replace him, he does not come close to Osimhen, which will influence Broos’ gameplan.

Bafana’s Recent Good Record Against Nigeria

South Africa also head into the match high on confidence because of the fact that they have lost just once against the Super Eagles in a 90-minute contest in their last eight meetings.

That defeat came at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, losing 2-1, with the other dark spot being a post-match penalties loss to the Super Eagles at the semi-final of AFCON 2023 after a 1-1 draw.

Besides that, Bafana Bafana have won one and drawn five of their last eight meetings with Nigeria which is an impressive record that should give them belief of victory in Bloemfontein.