South Africa coach Hugo Broos has stated that they are looking to seal their place World Cup at the 2026 FIFA World Cup by beating the Super Eagles of Nigeria when they lock horns next Tuesday, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Bafana Bafana tightened their grip at the summit of Group C on Friday, with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Lesotho.

That victory took them to 16 points, 9 points more than Nigeria, and five points ahead of second-place Benin.

South Africa celebration during the Men FIFA World Cup, WM, Weltmeisterschaft, Fussball qualifiers between South Afria and Lesotho at Peter Mokaba Stadium on March 21, 2025 in South Africa. Copyright: ImagoxPhillip Maeta

As it stands, they could seal their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as soon as next week. For that to happen, they need Rwanda, and Benin to drop points.

Then, they would have to defeat the Super Eagles when they lock horns at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein next Tuesday.

Although South Africa will have the home advantage in that game against Nigeria, it won’t be an easy task, as the Super Eagles have many quality players.

Nonetheless, Bafana Bafana coach Broos, is positive that his team can seal their spot in USA next week.

South Africa coach Hugo Broos greets players during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, qualifier match between South Africa and Zimbabwe at FNB Stadium. (Photo by Imago)

“We won against Lesotho today. And now we will see next week against Nigeria,” Broos said.

“If God is with us, then we can maybe qualify for the World Cup by next Tuesday, and that stays as the target for us.

“We are in a good situation, we have everything in our own hands, so it’s up to us to now finish it.”

The Super Eagles will play Rwanda in their next game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers on Saturday, and they will be looking to claim a victory to keep their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup alive.

Can The Super Eagles Still Gain From South Africa’s Possible Points Deduction

During the last set of qualifiers games, it was discovered that South Africa used an ineligible player － Teboho Mokoena.

Teboho Mokoena of South Africa is challenged by Lehlohonolo Matsau of Lesotho (Photo credit: Imago)

This could see South Africa lose three points and three goals. But CAF and FIFA have been silent about the issue. So there is a cloud of uncertainty.

If they get ducked points, any team in Group C could profit from it. But for Nigeria to even benefit, they must beat the Bafana Bafana in Bloemfontein.