File: Super Eagles
For Nigeria, the road ahead is challenging. Apart from her precarious position in the World Cup qualifying Group, the Eagles are not sure of who will lead them through the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The Nigeria Football Federation are yet to appoint a substantive coach for the team.
After delivering the 2025 AFCON ticket, it is believed that coach Austin Eguavoen who was appointed in an interim capacity will return to his desk as the Technical Director of the NFF.. Although many Nigerians have been calling for a permanent deal for Eguavoen, his employers are yet to say a word in that direction.
However with their penchant for foreign coaches, the NFF, we are told, are still in search of a good but affordable foreign coach. Whether Eguavoen will still lead the team in 2025 is yet to be seen.
As for the World Cup qualifiers, the Super Eagles must win all their remaining fixtures while relying on other teams in the group to disrupt South Africa’s campaign.
The qualifiers resume in March 2025, with South Africa hosting Lesotho and Nigeria traveling to Rwanda.
The Super Eagles had a very rough concluding part of the 2025 AFCON Qualifying campaign after a bright start. The Eguavoen tutored team tasted their first defeat in the final rounds of the campaign against Rwanda, the same team they will confront in March, when the World Cup campaign resumes. Eguavoen has since dismissed the defeat and assured that the result will not work against them in the World Cup qualifiers.
Nigeria, with a huge point deficit, lies in a disappointing fifth place with three points, four behind South Africa, with six games left in the qualifying series. Rwanda with 7 points and a plus 2 aggregate tops the group, followed by South Africa with 7 points and plus 1, Benin also on 7 points with a zero goals aggregate are third and Lesotho on 6 points lies fourth. The only country below Nigeria is Zimbabwe. It will be an uphill task for Nigeria to qualify.
The Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is talking tough. Broos is optimistic about his side’s chances of securing the 2026 World Cup ticket ahead of Nigeria and other contenders in Group C.
Meanwhile, Broos, whose side topped Group K in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers for Morocco 2025, believes South Africa’s recent form gives them the edge.
Reflecting on their progress, he remarked: “It doesn’t mean that we have to now think that we are where we have to be. No. But little by little we are becoming a very good team.”
He continued: “That will give us the confidence that we need for the next thing we have to do, which is qualify for the World Cup.
“But I’m confident that we can do it. I think, if SA can qualify for the World Cup it is now because we have quality; we have a good team. We can do it. But we still have to do it.”
South Africa’s Bafana have not lost a match since their semifinal exit against Nigeria at the Cote d’Ivoire 2023 AFCON.
In their last World Cup qualifier, they drew 1-1 with Nigeria in Uyo, a game where they nearly claimed all three points.
Broos plans to capitalise on South Africa’s AFCON momentum to navigate the World Cup qualifiers.
The coach expects to collect maximum points in their next matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, believing this will secure their ticket
