Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the World Cup qualifying match.
South Africa are close to reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and a win would all but guarantee the squad a place at the tournament. Nigeria, by contrast, are in a difficult position: the gap to the leaders is already too large, and even a win would leave only theoretical hopes.
South Africa
South Africa have set the standard in qualifying with 16 points and clear leadership of the group. Across seven matches South Africa have scored 13 goals, the best return in the section. The key players have been Lyle Foster of Burnley, Jayden Adams of Mamelodi Sundowns, and Thapelo Morena of Mamelodi Sundowns, each with two goals in qualifying. In their last 11 matches South Africa have lost only once, and across eight head-to-head meetings with Nigeria they have been beaten only once.
Nigeria
Nigeria are in crisis. The squad includes stars such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, and Samuel Chukwueze, but the performances are not coming together. Over seven matches the team have scored only eight goals and collected just 10 points. The failure at the African Nations Championship, where Nigeria lost 0:4 to Sudan and 0:1 to Senegal and did not progress from the group, only underlined that the systemic issues have not disappeared.
South Africa vs Nigeria Prediction
South Africa are trending in the right direction on motivation, form, and cohesion. The hosts need only a minimal outcome to meet their objective, while Nigeria remain in crisis and are not producing convincing football. South Africa should at least avoid defeat and the match should deliver Total Over 1.5 Goals.
