John Okoro
South Africa’s national team coach, Hugo Broos, has shared his thoughts ahead of Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier against Lesotho this Friday, suggesting an upset could be on the cards.
Broos believes Lesotho has the potential to stun the Super Eagles—a scenario that would benefit South Africa’s qualification hopes. He emphasized that Bafana Bafana must stay sharp and secure a win against Zimbabwe to capitalize on any slip-ups.
Currently, South Africa sits second in Group C, tied on points with Benin and three ahead of Nigeria as the final round of matches approaches.
Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Broos stressed the importance of his squad maintaining focus and taking each game as it comes.
“Our priority is to handle one match at a time. You can speculate about Benin dropping points in Rwanda or Nigeria stumbling against Lesotho, but none of that matters if we don’t perform against Zimbabwe.
“Even if results go our way elsewhere, a loss here would be disastrous. That’s why our full attention is on Zimbabwe—nothing else.
“Rwanda can wait until next week. Right now, victory over Zimbabwe is non-negotiable.
“This squad’s mentality gives me confidence. When facing high-stakes matches like these, their determination is exactly what we need.”
Omotayo Fashola
