South Africa's Bafana Bafana are brimming with confidence ahead of their crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Nigeria at the Free State Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Bafana Bafana head into their crunch 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Nigeria on Tuesday with belief running high and a sense of destiny in the air.
The Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein will host the showdown at 5 pm Nigerian time, as the Group C leaders look to strengthen their grip at the top and take a massive step towards a historic qualification.
South Africa, sitting on 16 points after seven games, lead the group ahead of Benin and Nigeria. With only three fixtures left, a victory over the Super Eagles could place Bafana on the brink of booking their ticket to the United States, Mexico, and Canada next year.
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However, there is still a lingering threat of a potential three-point deduction over Teboho Mokoena's ineligibility in the March 2-0 win against Lesotho -- a ruling FIFA is yet to finalise.
Appollis: "It's amazing to be part of this journey"
Confident winger Oswin Appollis, one of Bafana Bafana's brightest sparks, is relishing the opportunity to help his country return to the world stage for the first time since they played at the 2010 World Cup as hosts.
"It [being part of the Bafana squad who're on the brink of World Cup qualification] is amazing, seeing that we last played in the World Cup in 2010," Appollis told Sowetan Live.
"We're very close to qualifying for the World Cup, but we have to put in the work as we still have three games left.
"We're in a good position to go to the World Cup, but all the remaining games won't be easy. However, with the squad that we have, it's possible that we can go to the World Cup."
Appollis, who signed for Orlando Pirates from Polokwane City during the off-season, also reflected on his journey back into football after nearly walking away from the game entirely.
"It was a difficult moment, but [Kwanele] Kopo gave me a call and asked, 'Can you please come back and play for me' [at Pretoria Callies in 2022]. At that moment, I didn't want to come back, but my family convinced me to go back into football," he revealed.
Looking ahead to Tuesday's showdown, the young winger admitted it would be a battle:
"It's going to be an exciting game but a difficult one. Nigeria have so much quality, but we're ready for the fight."
Foster: "Pressure is on Nigeria, not us"
Lyle Foster, Bafana's star striker and one of South Africa's most dangerous attacking weapons, believes his team has nothing to fear despite the magnitude of the clash. The Burnley forward insists the pressure is squarely on Nigeria, who sit third in Group C with 10 points from seven games.
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"I don't necessarily think there's pressure on us," Foster was quoted on Sowetan Live.
"I think at the moment we are where we wanted to be in the group and that's a positive. I think pressure is on the guys who are trying to get to us but that doesn't mean we should take our foot off the pedal."
Foster, who celebrated his 25th birthday last week, urged his teammates to stay grounded and focused:
"I think we should just have the same mentality, keep things steady, take it game by game and stay humble. I don't necessarily think there's pressure, pressure is on those who are trying to get to us.
"I think we had a good start but the most important thing is trying to push forward and make sure that we seal it."
High stakes in Bloemfontein
Both teams head into Tuesday's encounter on the back of victories. Bafana Bafana eased past Lesotho 3-0 on Friday, while Nigeria narrowly edged Rwanda 1-0 in Uyo.
For Eric Chelle's Super Eagles, the match is a must-win to stay in contention for an automatic qualification spot, while South Africa know that three points could push them to the brink of history.
