Nigeria, the hosts, currently sit fourth in Group C with two points from two games, while South Africa has three points, just one point behind group leaders Rwanda. This match comes exactly four months after their intense semi-final clash in the Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria emerged victorious in a penalty shootout after a 120-minute deadlock.
The Super Eagles reached the AFCON final but lost to Ivory Coast, marking only their second competitive defeat since March 2023. Under new coach Finidi George, who replaced Jose Peseiro earlier this year, Nigeria is aiming for their seventh World Cup appearance. They’ve made it to three of the last four World Cups, missing only the recent tournament in Qatar.
In this competition, George's team has drawn 1-1 with both Lesotho and Zimbabwe, and in March friendlies, they beat Ghana 2-1 but lost 2-0 to Mali. Historically, Nigeria has dominated this fixture, with four wins and five draws in their last ten encounters with South Africa. However, they are missing key players and will need a strong performance to overcome Bafana Bafana’s solid defense.
South Africa, meanwhile, has seen significant improvement in recent years. After finishing third in the Africa Cup of Nations, they broke into the top 10 in the CAF rankings. Since their loss to Nigeria in February, they've remained unbeaten in eight matches across all competitions. During the international break in March, they drew with Andorra and Algeria.
In their World Cup qualifying campaign, South Africa started with a 2-1 win over Benin but then suffered a 2-0 defeat to Rwanda, the surprise team of the tournament so far. Bafana Bafana’s progress has been largely due to their improved defense, which conceded only three goals in seven AFCON matches, keeping five clean sheets.
Coach Hugo Broos’s team is still in contention for the top spot in the group and aims to qualify for the World Cup for the fourth time in their history, and the first time since hosting the event in 2010.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
As mentioned, Nigeria will be without a few key players, most notably Napoli forward Victor Osimhen, who is sidelined due to injury and will miss both of this month’s qualifiers.Coach Finidi George made some surprising decisions, opting not to call up Ahmed Musa and veteran defender Kenneth Omeruo. Additionally, Nathan Tella has requested to be excused for personal reasons.
To bolster the squad, George has brought in rising stars from the NPFL, Kenneth Igboke and Sodiq Ismael, along with Rizespor midfielder Ibrahim Olawoyin, all of whom are in line for selection.
South Africa also faces a setback with the absence of experienced defender Grant Kekana, who had to leave the training camp after sustaining a hamstring injury.
In response, coach Hugo Broos has included Kaizer Chiefs defender Given Msimango in the squad, alongside Orlando Pirates' Nkosinathi Sibisi and FCSB's Siyabonga Ngezana.
Meanwhile, Ronwen Williams, who made headlines by saving four out of five penalties against Cape Verde in the AFCON quarter-final, was initially an injury doubt but has traveled with the squad and is in contention to start.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Nigeria possible starting lineup:Nwabali; Osayi-Samuel, Ajayi, Tanimu, Bassey; Ndidi, Onyedika; Lookman, Iwobi, Chukwueze; Boniface
South Africa possible starting lineup:
Williams; Mobbie, Mvala, Ngezana, Modiba; Mokoena, Sithole; Tau, Zwane; Appollis; Rayners.
EXPERT PREDICTION
Nigeria 2-1 South Africa
Although Nigeria has traditionally dominated this fixture, South Africa has significantly closed the gap in recent years. This was evident during the AFCON, where it took penalties to decide the winner between these two teams.
We anticipate another tightly contested match this Friday and believe it will be difficult to separate these two African powerhouses by the final whistle, or Nigeria might just capitalize on home advantage to carry the day
