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Super Eagles Coach, Eric Chelle, has indicated that his team will place greater emphasis on the upcoming match against Rwanda in September as part of the 2026 World Cup qualifying series, rather than the highly anticipated clash with South Africa, which many are calling the Group C ticket decider.
Nigeria currently has seven points, trailing South Africa, who leads with 13 points. The Super Eagles were unable to close the gap with the Bafana Bafana after a lackluster 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe in Uyo last month.
This draw significantly dampened Nigeria's prospects of catching up with South Africa, who solidified their position by defeating Benin Republic 2-0 in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, on the same evening the Super Eagles faced Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.
Nonetheless, there is still hope among Super Eagles’ supporters, particularly since there is a possibility that South Africa could face point deductions for using an ineligible player in their recent match against Lesotho. Should FIFA pursue this, it could mean that the encounter against Nigeria may determine the fate of the World Cup qualification, assuming the Super Eagles win all their remaining fixtures prior to the match in Pretoria.
However, Chelle is not fixated on the upcoming game against South Africa at this moment. He prefers to concentrate on the matches leading up to it, emphasizing that the match against Bafana Bafana would lose its significance if the Super Eagles drop any points beforehand.
The Malian coach stated as reported by scorenigeria.com: “Our priority is to win against Rwanda first and foremost, and only then can we turn our attention to the match in South Africa.”
Before facing Rwanda and South Africa, the Super Eagles are expected to compete in a four-nation invitational tournament in London, which will also include Ghana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. Following this, the Super Eagles will welcome Rwanda to the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on September 3, ahead of the crucial game against Bafana Bafana in Pretoria on September 6.
