Nigeria and South Africa are set to face off on Friday night when they come together in matchday three in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The Super Eagles failed to get off to the ideal start in their opening two fixtures as they drew both 1-1, leaving them third in the group with two points, while the visitors are one position better off in the playoff spot after winning and losing in their first two, leaving them on three points.
There are still plenty of games to play before the qualifiers come to an end, but a victory for either side in this game could provide crucial points come the end of the group.
Nigeria vs South Africa
Friday 7 June, 20:00
Godswill Akpabio International Stadium
At the time of the opening two qualifiers Nigeria had been going through a rough patch of results including a spell of five consecutive losses just five matches prior to their opening-day draw with Lesotho.
Nigeria had been widely accepted as favourites to finish at the top of Group C, leaving the 1-1 draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe as extremely surprising results.
The Super Eagles showed their quality in the following Africa Cup of Nations though, going unbeaten on their route to the final before falling to a crushing 2-1 defeat to the hosts Ivory Coast.
While the defeat in the final would have been disappointing for the nation, Nigeria seemingly returned to their best in that tournament and they will be hoping they can continue that into their next two qualifiers against South Africa and Benin.
These two games will also come as Finidi George’s first competitive matches in charge of the side after he took over from Jose Peseiro, who managed the side from May 2022 to just after losing in the AFCON Final.
As for South Africa, after qualifying for three World Cup tournaments out of four between 1998 and 2010, when they hosted the tournament, they have not since appeared in the World Cup finals.
They will be hoping this is their year to finally make an appearance after 16 years away from the world’s most prestigious tournament, and they certainly started in the right way about achieving that.
They kicked off their qualifying with a 2-1 win over Benin before falling to a shocking 2-0 defeat to Rwanda in a game that South Africa majorly underperformed.
South Africa will have taken a similar level of confidence away from the AFCON tournament as Nigeria though as they made it to the semi-finals before being knocked out by the Super Eagles on penalties, eventually winning the third-place play-off against DR Congo.
They will be coming into this one knowing a win against the group favourites would give them a huge advantage in their push for qualification but with both teams needing a win, this game is expected to be extremely tightly fought.
Bet9ja Tips
Nigeria’s performances in the AFCON tournament showed that they are still one of the very best teams in the continent, and after failing to qualify for just the second time since 1994 for the Qatar edition in 2022 the Super Eagles will be extremely motivated to ensure they make a return to the World Cup in 2026.
They boast the advantage of playing at home in this game, and while we do expect South Africa to put up a good fight, Nigeria’s squad is full of much superior talent and we believe they will help the Super Eagles take all three points.
In terms of goalscorers, Ademola Lookman is priced up at 3.00 to score at anytime and after his heroics in the UEFA Europa League Final last month, he’s a good bet to continue his fine form.
Bet9ja Odds (at time of writing): Nigeria win: 1.50, Draw: 4.15, South Africa win: 7.10
Booking Codes:
6P9WKLW, 6P9WLDX
