South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has commended his players for their resilience after holding Nigeria to a 1-1 draw in Tuesday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein.
The Bafana Bafana went ahead in the 25th minute when Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong inadvertently turned the ball into his own net. Nigeria responded just before the break, with Calvin Bassey heading in Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s cross to level the score.
Despite Nigeria dominating the second half in search of a winner, Broos’ men stood firm to secure a vital point at home.
“It was a match like I expected, a physical match much harder from the opponent. It’s only in the second half when they tried to win the game with power football, but we did a very good game also,” Broos said after the match.
The result keeps South Africa top of Group C with 17 points, three clear of second-placed Benin Republic and six ahead of Nigeria, who sit third.
