South Africa maintain their unbeaten streak at home following their 1-1 draw against the Super Eagles at the Free State Stadium on Tuesday.

The win sees Bafana remain at the top of Group C with 17 points from eight games, while Nigeria dropped to third place on 11 points from eight matches.

Broos’ men will take on Zimbabwe in their next qualifier in October, one win away from securing their place at the World Cup.

“It was a match like I expected, physical match much harder from the opponent, it’s only in the second half when they tried to win the game with power football, but we did a very good game also,” Broos told SABC Sport after the game.

“We had the power in our teams also, we fought for it and I said before the game we will try to win but if it’s a draw then I’m happy also and I’m happy.

“The only thing I said this afternoon also on the pre-match meeting, I said if you can’t win with good football you have to do it with fighting and this is what they did. They fought in the second half for every ball, every metre and there were guys that were really dead but still they sprint.

“But I always said this is a group who wants to go to the World Cup and today was a crucial game. It was a draw- Nigeria stay on six points, it’s up to us now to win one game than we have qualified.”

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South Africa opened the scoring in the 25th minute when William Troost-Ekong found the back of his own net.

The Super Eagles managed to level matters in the 44th minute when Calvin Bassey headed the ball home as the match ended 1-1 in Bloemfontein.

The win sees Bafana remain at the top of Group C with 17 points from eight games, while Nigeria dropped to third place on 11 points from eight matches.

Here is an image gallery of this encounter:

The post Gallery: Bafana hold Nigeria in Bloem appeared first on SportsClub.

South Africa took the lead in the 25th minute when Mohau Nkota played a low cross into the area, where William Troost-Ekong deflected the ball into the back of his own net to make it 1-0.

⚽️ 𝔽𝕀𝔽𝔸 𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕃𝔻 ℂ𝕌ℙ ℚ𝕌𝔸𝕃𝕀𝔽𝕀𝔼ℝ𝕊 ⚽️

🥅 ⒼⓄⒶⓁ: Bafana Bafana benefit from Nigeria's defensive error!

🇿🇦 1⃣➖0⃣ 🇳🇬

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William Troost-Ekong turned the ball into his own net.

The Super Eagles managed to draw the game level in the 44th minute when Calvin Bassey headed the ball home after latching on to a cross from Tom Dele-Bashiru.

⚽️ 𝔽𝕀𝔽𝔸 𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕃𝔻 ℂ𝕌ℙ ℚ𝕌𝔸𝕃𝕀𝔽𝕀𝔼ℝ𝕊 ⚽️

🥅 ⒼⓄⒶⓁ: Nigeria have equalized!

🇿🇦 1⃣➖1⃣ 🇳🇬

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Neither side could find the back of the net as the game ended 1-1 at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

The post Bafana edge closer to WC qualification after Nigeria draw appeared first on SportsClub.

READ: “We do not want any favours from anyone” – Williams

Here is an image gallery of Bafana Bafana’s final training session:

The post In Picture: Bafana’s final training session for Nigeria showdown appeared first on SportsClub.

READ: Broos focused on tough clash against Nigeria

The 33-year-old has kept four clean sheets in seven matches in the Group C qualifiers ahead of their clash against Nigeria at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

In Picture: Bafana’s final training session for Nigeria showdown

South Africa currently sit at the top of the Group C standings with 16 points, having won five, drawn one and conceded one defeat in seven matches.

The Super Eagles are in third position with 10 points after they won two, drew four and suffered one defeat in seven games.

“The most important thing is to get the job done,” Williams said.

“We do not want any favours from anyone, we want to do things our way. We learnt a hard lesson a few years ago when our destiny was in other team’s hands and obviously things didn’t go our way.

“So, we learnt and grew as a team, and now we want to do things our way and get the job done.”

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READ: “We do not want any favours from anyone” – Williams

South Africa will come into this fixture after claiming a 3-0 victory over Lesotho at the Free State Stadium last Friday.

Bafana currently sit at the top of the Group C standings with 16 points, having won five, drawn one and conceded one defeat in seven matches.

The Super Eagles are in third position with 10 points after they won two, drew four and suffered one defeat in seven games.

In Picture: Bafana’s final training session for Nigeria showdown

South Africa and Nigeria are set to square off at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein in what is expected to be a mouth-watering encounter on Tuesday evening.

“You just have to look at yourself, and I think this is something we have to do here too. We do not have to count on Rwanda, Benin or anyone else (doing us favours) in the group,” Broos said.

“We know what we have to do, and we will try to do that, and if we can achieve it, we will qualify for the World Cup.

“I do not look at games and say, ‘oh this team is playing after us and we played before them’.

“You just have to focus on your own game and that is what we will do. What happened before or afterwards, that is not important if we do what we have to do.”

The post Broos focused on tough clash against Nigeria appeared first on SportsClub.

Foster got his name on the score sheet in their 3-0 victory over Lesotho at the Free State Stadium on Friday evening.

Bafana currently sit at the top of Group C with 16 points, having won five games, drawn one and conceded one defeat in seven matches.

The Burnley striker will be hoping to get his name on the score sheet when they take on Nigeria at the same venue on Tuesday evening.

“I don’t necessarily think there’s pressure on us. I think at the moment we are where we are in the group and that’s a positive,” said Foster.

“I think pressure is on the guys who are trying to get to us, but that doesn’t mean we should take our foot off the gas or take our foot off the pedal.

“I think that we should just have the same mentality still and keep steady, keep playing game by game, staying humble and just like I said, taking the game as it comes.

“I don’t necessarily think there’s pressure. I think the pressure is on those who are trying to get to us.

“I think we’ve had a good start, but the most important thing is trying to push forward and make sure that we seal it.”

The post “I don’t necessarily think there’s pressure on us” – Foster appeared first on SportsClub.

South Africa cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Lesotho at the Free State Stadium on Friday evening.

Mobbie suffered an injury in the sixth minute and was subsequently replaced by Zuko Mdunyelwa, who saw out the result of the game.

Bafana will go into this fixture sitting in first place in the Group C standings with 16 points after seven matches.

“The injury happened as a result of a clash of heads in the first half and he sustained a fracture of the eye socket in three places,” Dr Molobi said.

Thabiso Monyane joined the Bafana Bafana camp on Saturday and immediately headed to training with his teammates at the Petrus Molemela Stadium. He replaces Nyiko Mobbie, who was injured during the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Lesotho on Friday.#BafanaPride@SABC_Sport pic.twitter.com/YNERP28MQI

— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) September 6, 2025

The post Monyane called up to replace Mobbie in Bafana squad appeared first on SportsClub.

South Africa got off to the perfect start and grabbed the lead in the 15th minute when Mohau Nkota found the back of the net with a brilliant finish to find the bottom far corner.

⚽️ 𝔽𝕀𝔽𝔸 𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕃𝔻 ℂ𝕌ℙ ℚ𝕌𝔸𝕃𝕀𝔽𝕀𝔼ℝ𝕊 ⚽️

⚽️ ⒼⓄⒶⓁ: Mohau Nkota gets an opener for Bafana Bafana!

🇱🇸 0⃣➖1⃣ 🇿🇦

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Bafana had another chance to double their lead in the 39th minute when Thalente Mbatha unleashed a strike from the edge of the area but Sekhoane Moerane made a comfortable save.

The match went into the half-time break with Bafana taking a 1-0 lead over Lesotho.

South Africa doubled their lead just after the hour mark when Lyle Foster tapped the ball home after the Lesotho keeper fumbled Aubrey Modiba’s initial effort at goal.

⚽️ 𝔽𝕀𝔽𝔸 𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕃𝔻 ℂ𝕌ℙ ℚ𝕌𝔸𝕃𝕀𝔽𝕀𝔼ℝ𝕊 ⚽️

🥅 ⒼⓄⒶⓁ: Lyle Foster has doubled Bafana Bafana's lead against Lesotho!

🇱🇸 0⃣➖2⃣ 🇿🇦

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Bafana added a third goal four minutes later when Foster played Oswin Appollis through on goal before the Orlando Pirates winger slotted the ball into the bottom corner.

⚽️ 𝔽𝕀𝔽𝔸 𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕃𝔻 ℂ𝕌ℙ ℚ𝕌𝔸𝕃𝕀𝔽𝕀𝔼ℝ𝕊 ⚽️

🥅 ⒼⓄⒶⓁ: Oswin Appollis makes it three for Bafana Bafana!

🇱🇸 0⃣➖3⃣ 🇿🇦

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South Africa held on to their three-goal lead until the final whistle to walk away with the win and all three points.

The post Bafana cruise to victory over Lesotho appeared first on SportsClub.

Bafana Bafana continue their quest for a place at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and could in theory wrap it up this month in games against Lesotho and Nigeria that are both set to be played in South Africa.

Barring any late intervention from the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to deduct three points from Bafana following their illegal use of Teboho Mokoena in the 2–0 win over Lesotho in March, Bafana go into the penultimate round of matches with a commanding lead in the pool.

They are five points ahead of Rwanda and Benin, and six in front of Nigeria with a superior goal-difference.

If they avoid defeat to Nigeria this month then it is hard to see how they will not qualify.

Even a loss against the Super Eagles and it would still all be in Bafana’s hands.

Aside from also essentially hosting Lesotho this month, they also take on Rwanda and Zimbabwe in November to close out their campaign.

There is a chance that the Zimbabwe match will also be played in South Africa, with the Warriors unable to host games in their own country due to not having stadia that meet requirements.

They have been playing in South Africa to this point, so there is the possibility that all four of their remaining group games could be played on home soil.

That being the case, it would take an extraordinary collapse in form to be denied a place at the finals.

They could even lose three of their last four games and still make it.

Rwanda, Benin and Nigeria must all meet each other before the end of the qualifiers, so someone will drop points along the way.

The danger for Bafana most likely comes from a surge from Nigeria, who would need to win their remaining four games to get to 18 points in a group where only the top team advances to the final and the four best secondplaced sides go into an arduous inter-continental play-off system.

Should Nigeria get a 100% record in their final qualifiers, Bafana would likely still only have to beat two of Lesotho, Rwanda and Zimbabwe to ensure qualification.

Despite a star-studded squad, there is no evidence Nigeria will get another 12 points.

They have one win from their first six qualifiers to go with four draws and a defeat to Rwanda.

They have drawn all three home games 1–1, including to Lesotho and Zimbabwe.

They have excellent individual players, but for whatever reason struggle to play as a team and that has cost them dearly.

Bafana coach Hugo Broos has improved the mentality of his squad more than anything and that will be crucial in these two games.

“We needed some time to build this group. In the beginning, when I came to South Africa [in 2021], it was not so easy in the first year,” Broos said.

“There were a lot of problems, but we went and looked for the right players for all positions, and we found them And I think now we have a very good team. Now, we can even change players, and our performances will not be affected. So, that means that we are strong, and we have to be confident and not be afraid of any opponent playing against us. The only thing we have to do is hard work as we have been doing till now, not thinking that everything has already been done.”

“But we are in a good position now. Looking at our group, if we do not do stupid things, we are very close to qualifying for the World Cup.”

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