“We were the best team” – South Africa boss Hugo Broos targets Nigeria win to avenge AFCON defeat

South Africa national team head coach Hugo Broos believes the Bafana Bafana are a better team than Nigeria's Super Eagles and he wants to grab the chance this weekend to show what his boys can do, Soccernet.ng reports.

Nigeria met and overcame South Africa in the semifinal of the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d'Ivoire back in February.

Bafana Bafana, parading largely home-based players, created the better chances in that encounter before Nigeria's star-packed team triumphed via penalties. 

Brooks is convinced South Africa would have reached the AFCON with a bit more luck on the back of their impressive display. 

The two teams face each other again on Friday in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.

Nigeria will be favourites on home soil but Broos is confident he can lead Bafana Bafana to secure a positive result before they face Zimbabwe on matchday four.

“Let’s go to Nigeria and Zimbabwe, qualify for World Cup, everybody knows that every one of us wants to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2026 but we are in front of two very tough games,” Broos said, as per Farpost.

“First of all, Nigeria AFCON finalists, players who are playing in the best competitions in Europe. On the other side, we saw what we can do against them at AFCON, if we had a little bit of luck against them we would be in the final and not Nigeria.

“I think we were the best team in the semifinals, we could have won that. So, we don’t have to be afraid.

“The other game against Zimbabwe is different. It’s a game between neighbours I think that Zimbabwe, after the ban, they have another team with another coach. So, from that side, it will be a difficult game.

“But if you see our performances of the last six months, the game in Algeria, where we did a very good game. We have to be confident and we have to believe in our chances.

“And I know that some people say that, ‘against Algeria you received three goals’. But the two goals were of the individual mistakes. So for me, the three goals we conceded are not so important.

“The most important thing for me was that we brought a good performance against Algeria. So, that has to give us confidence for us to achieve our goal, the goal has to be at least four or six [points].

“I don’t want to lose any of those two games. I want to win one and I want to have a draw.

“That means four or six and we stay in the race for qualifying for the World Cup. And that has to be our goal for the next two games.”

Three-time African champions Nigeria, who have reached the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup on three occasions, missed out on the last houseparty in Qatar.

Only one nation will qualify from Group C, where Rwanda are presently the surprise leaders after two matchdays, on four points, with South Africa on three and Nigeria on two.