SA vs Nigeria: More than just bragging rights on the line

BAFANA Bafana have grown in leaps and bounds over the years, which is why there wouldn't be a better time to settle the on-field beef between them and Nigeria.

- MIHLALI BALEKA.

Bafana will host Nigeria in a crucial 2026 World Cup qualifier at Toyota Stadium tonight (6pm kickoff). The South Africans are at the top of Group C with 16 points, six ahead of third-placed Nigeria.

A win for Bafana would put them on the brink of qualifying for the global showpiece in North America — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — as they would be nine points ahead of their rivals with two games to play.

A Bafana victory would also eliminate Nigeria from the race for automatic qualification, which would sting for the West Africans if they ultimately fail to qualify for the global event, even through the playoffs.

Of course, Bafana still have the pending case of Teboho Mokoena, who was fielded despite being ineligible to play against Lesotho in one of the qualifiers in March. The rivalry between Bafana and the Super Eagles goes beyond the pitch, as there has been a long-running debate on whether South Africa's Amapiano is better than Nigeria’s Afrobeats.