Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says his charges deserve to go to the FIFA World Cup in North America next year after working extremely hard to put themselves in contention in the last two years.
The South African senior men’s national team assembled in Roodepoort, Johannesburg, on Monday morning ahead of their away World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Friday, 10 October 2025.
They will wrap up their qualifying campaign when they host Rwanda in the last qualifier at the Mbombela Stadium, in Mpumalanga, on Tuesday, 14 October 2025. Both matches will be played at 18h00.
“There are no doubts, there have never been any doubts from my side, and I will try to transfer this to the players at a meeting we will have on Tuesday,” he said (via safa.net).
“I believe in this group and I am sure that they will do everything in their power to win that game on Friday. Why should we doubt ourselves now after our performances in the qualifiers? If there is a team that deserves to go to the World Cup, it is South Africa.”
16 Comments
It is true, you guys have paid the due, win more game than any other country, and play the politics behind the game more than anyone.
Even the power of 3 points deduction can’t stop you guys. It will only add more glory to the qualification feet.
Nigeria need to seat out this world cup. We need to learn.
Wike, NFF are wicked. They caused all of this.
Don’t forget, you played almost all your matches at home
FIFA has already given the advantage over all other teams by playing 90% of the matches at home.
Good luck.
If not the nonchalant attitude of our NFF for not protesting for allowing leshoto and Zimbabwe to play their home matches in your backyard you shouldn’t have saying all this nonsense
It’s NFF incompetence that has emboldened our opponents.
I agree that SA have outperformed all the teams in our group, including Nigeria. That is obvious. However, with better administrators, this would not be the case. Just imagine, Nigeria could have had players like David Alaba and Manuel Akanji as defensive options! Yes, Akanji opted for Switzerland, but he has a tattoo of the NFF logo on his arm. That’s love for Nigeria, which could have been exploited if the NFF was doing their job right. He could have been convinced to play for Nigeria. But he likely heard of all the shenanigans going on in the NFF, officials collecting bribes from players before they can play, officials sharing money meant for football operations, sharing tournament prize monies, even sharing players bonuses instead of paying players. He must have heard of all the mess going on, and thus decided to save himself the headache and play for the Swiss. There are so many other players we have lost to other countries because of this same rubbish. Even in athletics, we’re losing athletes to other countries. Favour Ofili recentyl switched to Turkey for these same reasons. When our sports men and women are neglected and cheated out of their entitlements, of course some of them will start looking elsewhere for better working conditions. And those like Akanji who would have loved to play for us will start having second thoughts. This is how the NFF continue to doom us to failure. Now we are forced to move on without our best players, and even the ones we have available are not properly managed. Look at the tight schedule the players have to train and get ready for our 2 remaining crucial WCQ games against Lesotho and Benin. How are the lads supposed to pull this off in this circumstances?
Until we get the administration right, our football will continue to suffer. It starts with weeding out the current leadership, and recruiting only vetted, qualified, knowledgeable individuals to man these positions. With good administrators, we will excel even without our best players. We must get it right in the Glass House. This is the way forward.
@Pompei Good Points, I mean this has been happening since kingdom come, nd all that will happen is we will miss wC and the Fans (Nigerian Public) will single out the only good hope in our Football at that present moment for Blame and leave the Culprits to go free and carry on raping Nigeria. Lol so Chelle will be blamed (Even though he is doing a commendable job) probably chased away the FANs and Ex internationals will call for a Local coach whos Head is up his Ass and does not see further than his nose, this Local coach will come and delude the gullible public that a Local Indigenous coach will save Nigrian ball this coach will come in probably before AFCON select a majority local based player base for AFCON fail in AFCON Nigrians will pitty him and Say we must fail with our own, forgetting the NPFL needs devine intervention for us to even Beat Teams from Djubouti again, The Fulanis in the notrh will continue to tamper with the list based on QUOTA system Ideology and this doward Spiral created by Nigeria and Nigerians (VERY CLUELESS SENTIMENTAL ONES THAT DON’t WATCH THE GAME OFF FOOTBALL) will continue for years.
I mean Alaba even declared to NFF in Keshi’s Tenure that he wants to play for Nigeria and was overlooked because he never played in NPFL (CAN you believe the Level of Delusion that exists in that country). I mean Pinnick was the worst BUKAYO SAKA’s MOM) perosnally pleaded with Pinnick after he was Invited to Saka’s home for Dinner on when trying to convince Saka she told Him ” please give me sometime I will convince SAKA to play for Nigeia as I personally want him to represent his country of Origin, Please dont disclose anything about this Dinner with the Media” DO you know what Pinnick did the next day (Mind you this is When Gareth Southgate was not considering Saka yet as he was still in his breakout season) Pinnick only the Next day After Saka’s Mom plee went straight to Mainstream media and Disclosed to the Media the dinner he had with the Saka’s and that Saka Is going to play for Nigeria. Well needless to say the next international break only a month later Saka Was playing for England.
Not Only Saka Pinnick did this with Eze and Abrahams too.
So what made matters worse is that Pinnick even though being wrong started a campaign off Nigeia will not Beg Anyone to play for Her No one is bigger than Nigeria, Fans Jumped and supported Pinnick saying YES Nigeria will beg no one Even You Pompei I clearly remember you and Dr Drey supporting this analogy Well Ntoooor gi all of you!!!!
Lol now look Eze and Saka are the most Important players in Arsenal infact Arsenals Best players..
Just imagine what Nigeria could have had in World Cup a team with Osimhen, Lookman, Saka, Eze Alaba and Akanji.. I mean all these are Positions with the exception of Osimhens that Nigeia is crying for players of the mentioned caliber. Not just that Ethan Nwaneri probably would have easily followed suit for a bench role in Super Eagles..
Instead Nigeira is failing to qualify for 2 consecutive World Cups still having pointless Debates sa to Why NPFL plyers who do not deserve to even sit on standby list should be in Super Eagles. lol.. and, Nigeria cannot even beat Teams like Zimbabwe r Rwanda all because of that Stupd Nigerian arrogance and Mentality
And are they really bigger than the country? The England they decided to represent, have they won anything with them? What’s wrong in pinnick telling the public saka will play for Nigeria with what I believe to be excitement? They shd all get out I beg, with or without them Nigeria soccer will get it right one day, they are just bunch of unpatriotic boys period.
I no go watch that match, I go hear the result after. I no fit shout abeg…
No matter how it is arranged, FIFA will never carry the ball and put it into the net for Naija. The coach and the boys must be calm and know what to do.
But I wish them well.
Pompei, I have just read a shocking news from one of our dailies:
“Amaju Melvin Pinnick, the Deputy Chair of the FIFA Men’s National Teams Competitions Committee, has congratulated the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Musa Gusau; legal luminary Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN) and seasoned football executive Ayishat ‘Aisha’ Falode on their appointments to key FIFA Standing Committees.
In a landmark development that solidifies Nigeria’s influence in global football governance, these appointments place Nigerian expertise at the heart of FIFA’s decision-making structure: Gusau joins the FIFA Men’s Club Competitions Committee. Mustapha has been appointed to the Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Committee while Falode takes a seat on the Media & Communications Committee”
Are you sure these people will vacate their positions on the 15th of October after we have failed in our WC 2026 bid?
Why the “appointments” at this time if not to elongate a failure regime because plenty Nigerians are calling for the termination of their reign?
Is it not fishy and a plot to continue to misfire?
Salvation might still be far away unless the unthinkable happen: the boards resign because I don’t see a miracle happening for Eagles, not after dropping points in 6 out of the first 8 matches (drawing 5 and losing 1) and expecting to go to the world cup.
Sly, this people are bent on recycling mediocrity. Looks like they want to keep a stranglehold on their positions, to the detriment of our football. And I wonder, how is it that FIFA allows these numbskulls to be appointed to seats in their committees? How? Something is seriously wrong with FIFA.
This is true. Thumbs up brother man Pompeii
@Wike and you think Nigeria will learn?? Is it not the same Nigeria that sat out last world Cup in Qatar??. Is it not the same Nigeria that the same NFF so called Ex Internationals are calling for the coaches head and Local talents again?, even though Chelle is stabilizing the team. You see Nigeria will never learn Nigeria like I said two years ago when these group started and all the clamour for local coaches local players started every international break every SE game too the point that the coaches were always forced to play or included NPFL players that cannot even beat teams from.swaziland, I mean even after Ekong’s mess up against Zimbabwe the coach was still forced by the same NFF to play Ekong against SA so until everybody in NFF respect themselves Nigeria will definitely be ranked in the 100s before a light bulb switches on in those NFF coconut heads
So No Nigeria is a country that never changes. Always repeating the same mistakes and expecting a different result.
Meanwhile austine the cerezo aka just go out there and express yourself, has been touted to takes over from chelle after worldcup qualification.
At this junction even nff had given up, and there is no need for them to be paying money to foreign coach.
Until all these Jackas and vultures leave Nigeria football before we can have peace.
Wike this is wickedness. Eguavoen again?
Ugo, while I want our best players, home and foreign born, to play for Nigeria, I can’t subscribe to the idea that we should go and prostrate for players to come play for us. If the desire is not there, there is no point. You can force a horse to the river, but you can’t force it to drink. We don’t want anyone whose heart is not with Nigeria. I stand by what I said. If you want to go and dobale for players, begging them to come play for us, go ahead and knock yourself out.