Bafana Bafana of South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has remained optimistic his side will qualify for the 2026 World Cup ahead of the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
Broos made this known after the 2026 World Cup draw was made on Thursday.
South Africa will face Nigeria, Rwanda, Benin, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe in Group C for one of the nine slots alloted to Africa.
The Belgian tactician believed his side has all it takes to qualify at the expense of Nigeria.
”The away games will be very important in a group like ours, but now a little bit more because we have five difficult away games for different reasons.
“I think South Africa can qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup first in the group.
“If you see the progress we have made in the last two years, you cannot compare those qualifiers (for the 2026 World Cup) with the qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
We are better now, we have a better team now. So okay, I am confident”, he told SAFA media.
The winners of the nine qualifying groups will automatically book their ticket for the 2026 World Cup, while the four best second-placed teams will play in a new CAF Play-Off tournament.
The winner of the CAF Play-Off Tournament will play in the FIFA Play-off Tournament.
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by three countries (U.S.A, Canada, and Mexico) for the first time in the tournament’s history.
It will also feature for the first time 48 teams, against the usua 32 teams.
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