Bafana in excellent position to reach World Cup after draw against Nigeria

Bafana Bafana were held to a 1-1 draw by Nigeria in their emotionally charged clash in Bloemfontein on Tuesday night but their 2026 Fifa World Cup fate is still very much in their own hands. 

The share of the spoils in front of a vocal Free Sate Stadium keeps Bafana entrenched at the top of Group C with 17 points from eight matches. They are favourites to seal qualification in their last two matches in South Africa against Rwanda and Zimbabwe next month. 

Veteran Nigeria centreback William Troost-Ekong turned the ball into his own net in the 25th minute as Bafana delighted the home crowd taking the lead. Big Calvin Bassey got up powerfully to head the 44th-minute equaliser just before the break.

The hard-fought result, matching the scoreline in Nigeria in the opening-round clash in June last year, was not the win that would have left Bafana within a point of wrapping up qualification.

It was, though, easily the next best thing.

Even the likely docking of three points for the fielding of Teboho Mokoena in a 2-0 win against Lesotho in Polokwane in March is now severely diminished as a threat to Bafana’s chances.

The draw preserved the six-point gap over Nigeria — who were hoping to continue a revival from a dismal start to the campaign and reduce the margin to three — and effectively eliminates the pre-campaign group heavyweights as a factor.

Bafana remain six points clear of Rwanda, who beat Zimbabwe 1-0 at Orlando Stadium in an earlier game. Benin can go to 14 points and three points behind if they dispatch Lesotho in Abidjan in a 9pm kickoff game.

What it all means for South Africa is their fate is in their hands in the last two games, with or without points docked.

Bafana settled first and in one of their early notable attacks winger Oswin Appollis forced a save out of Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali. 

Nigeria suffered a huge blow inside 10 minutes when influential defender Ola Aina was replaced injured by Bright Osai after he was tackled by Samukele Kabini, who looked shaky for most of the game.

That move was engineered by playmaker Sipho Mbule who interchanged passes with Teboho Mokoena and Bathusi Aubaas before the ball landed in the box and Appollis unleashed a thunderous shot that went straight to Nwabali.

Tempers ran high in the second half and at one stage Gabonese referee Pierre Atcho called coaches Hugo Broos and Éric Chelle and instructed them to have a brief talk with their players and technical team members.

Troost-Ekong turned the ball into his own net in a desperate attempt to clear a dangerous ball from winger Mohau Nkota.

The goal sparked a response from the strong crowd and Bafana continued with the momentum but could not take some of their chances and were later punished with Nigeria pulling one back.

The equaliser arrived on the stroke of half time when defender Bassey rose the highest in the box to beat Ronwen Williams but television replays showed the ball touched his hand on its way into the net. 

Bafana coach Broos made four changes to the team to team that beat Lesotho 3-0 at the same venue on Friday, recalling experienced Siyabonga Ngezana to partner impressive teenager Mbekezeli Mbokazi in central defence.

Ngezana replaced Thabo Moloisane, who left the pitch in the second half against Lesotho with a head injury but recovered to be on the bench against the Super Eagles.

Elsewhere at the back, Kabini was preferred to Aubrey Modiba at left-back and Zuko Mdunyelwa started in the right-back position he occupied when he came on for injured Nyiko Mobbie on Friday.

In midfield, Broos preferred Aubaas for Thalente Mbatha to partner Mokoena. His attack remained Mohau Nkota, Mbule, Oswin Appollis and Lyle Foster.

Nigeria coach Chelle went with the tried and tested campaigners in Stanley Nwabali in goal, Troost-Ekong, Aina, Wilfred Ndidi, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi and Cyriel Dessers but the Super Eagles could not secure the victory they were desperate for.