Bafana Bafana skipper Ronwen Williams insists South Africa are closing the gap on Nigeria as the two sides clash in a decisive 2026 World Cup qualifier in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, Footynaija.com reports.
South Africa top Group C with 16 points, six clear of the Super Eagles, who sit third with just three matches left.
A home win would leave Hugo Broos’ men on the brink of sealing a ticket to the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Nigeria, however, boast an intimidating record in this fixture. The three-time African champions boast a record of eight wins, six draws and two defeats against the South Africans across all competitions.
Even more interestingly, the Super Eagles have never lost to Bafana Bafana in a competitive match on South African soil. But Williams believes that run is under serious threat.
“That’s the history they’ve had over us, we haven’t beaten them in a very long time. But we’ve had positive results, like going to Nigeria last year. It was difficult, yet we came away with a result, and the way we played showed that we’re growing as a team,” Williams said.
The Bafana goalkeeper pointed to recent near misses as evidence of progress. “We’re getting closer and closer to beating them. We saw it at AFCON, we saw it when we played them away in Nigeria. Hopefully, we can take that extra step and change the narrative.
“We don’t fear Nigeria, we getting closer & closer to beating them. We want to make the AmaPiano guys happy” ~ @BafanaBafana skipper @ronwen30 on the crunch encounter vs @NGSuperEagles tomorrow. #SABCSport411 | @AFC_2025 | #FIFAWCQ2026 pic.twitter.com/iic4jopTeu
— Velile Mnyandu (@Velile_Mnyandu) September 8, 2025
“If you look at the head-to-head, of course, they still have the bragging rights. But hopefully, we can show that there’s a new chapter for Bafana Bafana and give the Amapiano guys something to celebrate.”
Nigeria must win to keep their campaign alive, knowing anything less could leave their World Cup hopes hanging by a thread.