The Super Eagles needed a win to move ahead of Bafana Bafana and improve their chances in Group C of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, with their new coach, Finidi George, hoping to start his tenure successfully.
The pressure was on Nigeria after they kicked off their campaign with consecutive 1-1 draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, leaving them in third place in the group standings.
However, the Super Eagles played another 1-1 draw with Bafana Bafana after South Africa’s Themba Zwane scored first in the 29th minute of the match.
Hugo Broos’ team defended well, preventing Ademola Lookman and Kelechi Iheanacho from scoring.
Nigeria played better in the first half and scored an equalizer in the second half with a great goal from Dele-Basiru.
Samuel Chukwueze nearly put Nigeria ahead, but his shot hit the crossbar. Despite Nigeria’s efforts, South Africa held on for a draw.
Nigeria remains in fifth place with three points, one behind South Africa with four points. This result puts Nigeria in fifth place out of six teams after three matches in the 10-match competition.
Nigeria has drawn all three of their matches so far. The group winners will qualify for the 2026 World Cup, while the four best-ranked runners-up will enter playoffs, and the winners will join an intercontinental tournament where six nations will compete for two places.
Next, the Super Eagles will travel to Abidjan to play against third-placed Benin on June 10th.
South Africa previously defeated Benin 2-1 but suffered a 2-0 loss to early group leaders Rwanda, making for a mixed start to their campaign as they aim for qualification to the 2026 tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Finidi George has already overseen two friendlies as interim boss but will hope to avoid the defensive vulnerabilities that plagued those matches against Ghana and Mali in his first major test.
However, Nigeria’s preparations have been far from ideal, with several players reportedly delayed in joining the camp due to travel difficulties caused by a national strike.
South Africa, coached by Hugo Broos, have been in impressive form lately, losing only five of their last 35 games.
However, they were knocked out by Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semifinals, losing on penalties when it mattered most.
Ahead of the upcoming clash between these familiar rivals, here are the key details for the match, including kickoff times and how to watch it around the world:
The match will take place at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Nigeria, on Friday, June 7th, at 8:00 p.m. local time.
Here’s the kickoff time in some major territories:
USA: Friday, June 7th, 3:00 p.m. ET
Canada: Friday, June 7th, 3:00 p.m. ET
UK: Friday, June 7th, 8:00 p.m. BST
Australia: Saturday, June 8th, 5:00 a.m. AEST
India: Saturday, June 8th, 12:30 a.m. IST
For viewers in South Africa, the match will be broadcast on SABC Plus and SABC Sport. In Nigeria, NTA Sports 24 will cover it, with streaming available on Startimes Nigeria.
International fans can stream the game on FIFA+ except in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. In India, the match will be streamed via FanCode.
Nigeria will be without Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and captain William Troost-Ekong, while Ahmed Musa and Kenneth Omeruo are also absent from the squad. Ademola Lookman remains a key player, while Victor Boniface may replace Osimhen in attack.
South Africa faces injury concerns, but key players like Ronwen Williams and Percy Tau are expected to be available. Kaizer Chiefs’ Given Msimango replaces Grant Kekana, with newcomers Nkosinathi Sibisi and Siyabonga Ngezana joining the squad.
Currently, Rwanda and the Benin Republic are topping the Group C with four points each, a development that makes today’s match even more important for South Africa and Nigeria as they are in the third and fourth positions, respectively in the group.
KanyiDaily recalls that Nigeria’s Super Eagles recently secured a 2-1 victory against tge Black Stars of Ghana in a friendly match held in Marrakech, Morocco.
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