2026 World Cup: Mistake Nigeria Made in Qualifiers Compared to Bafana Bafana
- The Super Eagles of Nigeria kept their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup alive after winning their final match in the qualifiers
- The three-time Africa Cup of Nations champions struggled for most of the qualification, and they are lucky to be part of the four teams taking part in the play-offs
- A Nigerian journalist has highlighted the mistakes Nigeria made during the qualifiers, comparing them with the Bafana Bafana of South Africa
Nigeria and South Africa rekindle their rivalry in football in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying phase as both nations were placed in Group C.
Source: Getty Images
Bafana Bafana ended up securing automatic qualification to the competition, with the Super Eagles settling for the playoffs after finishing one point behind Hugo Broos' side.
A football analyst has explained the differences between Nigeria and South Africa, stating the mistakes the Super Eagles made during the qualifiers.
Nigeria's mistake compared to Bafana
Sports journalist, Kingsley Akpan, while in an exclusive interview with Briefly News, explained the difference between Nigeria's planning at the qualifiers compared to South Africa.
"South Africa went for a very experienced coach in Hugo Broos, and that's why he's maximising the talents they have. Also, the South African Football Association makes sure that they prioritise qualifying for the World Cup, which Nigeria did not do. It is impossible to say we prioritise qualifying for the World Cup and then have three different coaches handle our team during the qualifiers," he said.
"Jose Peseiro took the first two games, Finidi George the next two games, and in all of these, there was much uncertainty surrounding who would handle the team. They even went without a coach for a while. That's so much uncertainty and unseriousness for a team that wants to qualify for the biggest football event concerning national teams."
Source: Getty Images
Akpan stated the approach Nigeria should've taken before the World Cup qualifiers began. He was concerned about the Super Eagles not having a proper manager calendar for bringing in a new coach, which variably affected their performance in the qualifiers.
"If we were serious about qualifying for the World Cup, we would have sorted it and thought about it while appointing a coach, knowing that, oh, let's pick a proper calendar to bring in a new one so that he can handle our national team qualification for the World Cup," he added.
"So we didn't prioritize it; we just did our normal 'vibes and Insha Allah,' unlike South Africa."
Nigeria will face Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's Gabon in the semi-finals of the CAF play-offs, and if they win, they will face either Hugo Broos' former team, Cameroon or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the final.
If the Super Eagles secure one ticket from Africa, they will progress to the intercontinental stage where they will face other countries for a place in the global football competition next year.
Bafana drop in latest FIFA rankings
Briefly News also reported that Bafana Bafana have slipped up in the latest FIFA rankings despite qualifying for the World Cup.
The South African national team dropped places on the global ranking while still retaining their previous position in Africa.
Source: Briefly News
