Confidence and better record against Nigeria gives Bafana a shot in Uyo

Winning and consistent results in sport breed confidence and more such results, and vice versa.

Bafana Bafana’s dramatic upturn of the last two years under Hugo Broos and improved record of the last decade against Nigeria will give the South Africans hope of pulling off at least a draw in their 2026 World Cup qualifier at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday night (9pm SA time).

Before South Africans get cock-a-hoop, though, about Bafana’s prospects and general state, they should remind themselves that two decades of underachievement does not get wiped away overnight. Bafana’s upbeat state remains brittle for now.

On the flipside of Bafana’s confidence gained from a 24-month period where, after a 2-1 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying away loss against Morocco in June 2022, South Africa have lost two more senior games in 22, the Super Eagles now know to expect a tough outing.

That is because one of those two defeats came in this year’s Afcon semifinal, where South Africa pushed the Nigerians all the way in a 1-1 extra time draw, bowing out on penalties. The Super Eagles won silver after losing in a classic final against hosts Ivory Coast and Bafana bronze.

Nigeria are missing talismanic Napoli striker Victor Osimhen with a thigh injury, but new coach Finidi George has plenty of quality at his disposal, including Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi, Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho and Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman, who scored three goals at Afcon.

Broos was asked about the challenge of mentally preparing a team mostly based in the DStv Premiership, though forged into competitiveness largely via the use of a core sourced from Champions League-toughened Mamelodi Sundowns, to face a side with big-name European-based stars.

“The advantage we have now compared to six, seven months ago is we proved that when we play against those bigger teams in Africa, we can win,” he said.

“We won against Morocco [a 2-0 Afcon qualifying shock against the World Cup semifinalists last year]. And you saw what happened at Afcon, you have seen how we played against Algeria [in a 3-3 friendly away draw in March].

“We are not afraid any more because we know what qualities we have.

“So on Friday we will go on the pitch and play our game. And we are not thinking about [head in hands], ‘Ah, Nigeria. Ah, Morocco. Ah, Algeria.’ No, we just play our game.

“And to have that confidence it is very important [to have] played at Afcon like we did. If we had gone home after the group stage, then you stay [without confidence], looking at those big teams with players playing in Europe.

“We have proved against those teams we are maybe not as good but we can maybe get a result.

“And it is important on Friday that you go on the pitch and really believe you can do something.”

Another factor to boost Bafana is they have their biggest-name European-based professional, Burnley striker Lyle Foster, back from his six-month hiatus for mental health issues.

Nigeria have long been Bafana’s nightmare opponents — South Africa’s record against them reads: played 15, won two, lost eight, drew five.

In recent years Bafana have come far closer. The turnaround started under Shakes Mashaba when South Africa drew twice against the Super Eagles in 2014 to eliminate them from qualification for the 2015 Nations Cup.

That laid the platform for a first competitive win for South Africa, a stirring 2-0 Afcon qualifying victory at the same venue they will play at on Friday under Stuart Baxter in 2017. Bafana drew the return match at home the next year.

A record since those draws in 2014 under Mashaba of played seven, won one, drawn four and lost two provides a competitive backdrop Bafana will hope to use to their advantage mentally as they aim for another strong result in Uyo.