A heavyweight continental clash is set for Tuesday evening as the Super Eagles of Nigeria take on the Bafana Bafana of South Africa at the Free State Toyota Stadium, Soccernet.ng reports.
Burnley forward, Lyle Foster, was on the scoresheet for Hugo Broos’s side in their 3-0 win over Lesotho on Friday evening has backed his teammates to keep an eye on their goal to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
South Africa are yet to play in the Mundial since hosting the 2010 Jabulani edition, and are now on the brink, but they still have a few obstacles to overcome.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria are clinging on to a slight glimmer of hope in their journey to the same destination, and have a fate with destiny on their hands as they take on South Africa on Tuesday.
Get Our Sports News First – Join Our WhatsApp Channel Now!
The result of the game will determine the trajectory of the future of Nigeria’s most talented (arguably) squad in the 21st century.
No pressure for South Africa – Foster
Bafana Bafana’s in-form forward is in good spirits, still relishing his goal against Manchester United at Old Trafford just before the International Break.
The striker turned 25 four days ago, and admitted he, alongside his teammates, are in a confident place ahead of Nigeria’s game. All that’s left is to maintain momentum as they look to finish strong.
“I don’t necessarily think there’s pressure on us,” the former Monaco forward said in quotes revealed by Timeslive ZA.
“I think at the moment we are where we wanted to be in the group, and that’s a positive. I think pressure is on the guys who are trying to get to us [Nigeria], but that doesn’t mean we should take our foot off the pedal.”
The Soweto-born striker mentioned they must keep the same winning mentality when they take on Nigeria.
“I think we should just have the same mentality, keep things steady, take it game by game and stay humble. I don’t necessarily think there’s pressure; pressure is on those who are trying to get to us.
“I think we had a good start, but the most important thing is trying to push forward and make sure that we seal it,” Foster concluded.
South Africa are currently top of the CAF World Cup Qualifiers Group C with 16 points and a positive goal difference (8), five points above second-placed Benin, with Nigeria standing at third, a point behind Gernot Rohr’s side.