Super Eagles will be “very tough”
The president of the South Africa Football Association Danny Jordaan said the 2026 World Cup qualifiers between South Africa and Nigeria will be very tough, adding that his South African team played better than the Super Eagles in the semifinals of the Africa Cup of Nations played on Wednesday.
Following a 1-1 draw after extra time, Nigeria beat South Africa on penalties to reach the Nations Cup final, where they face hosts Ivory Coast on Sunday.
Speaking with Omasports in Buoake, Jordaan said most supporters thought the Super Eagles were way better than South Africa, but the semifinal clash was a shocker, promising that the next meeting between the two nations will be a tough affair.
“I sat close to Jay Jay Okocha and Kanu Nwankwo during the match and after the first half, they were very furious because South Africa dominated the match,” Jordaan said.
“We are proud of the team we have. Even in South Africa, nobody gave us a chance, but we are happy with the way we played against Nigeria. We lost but we played better and we are proud.
“The World Cup qualifiers between Nigeria and South Africa in June will be very tough because the two teams are the highest-ranked in the group.”