After a disappointing draw, South Africa now looks to rival Nigeria for a crucial favour in the final group stage match.
A frustrating goalless draw against Zimbabwe has left South Africa’s national team, Bafana Bafana, in a precarious position, forcing them to become temporary supporters of their West African rivals.
Following Friday’s stalemate, head coach Hugo Broos conceded that his squad’s path to the top of their World Cup qualifying group now depends on a favour from the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
The result leaves Bafana Bafana in second place in Group C with 15 points, two points behind the surprising leaders, Benin Republic. With only one match remaining, South Africa must not only secure a victory against Rwanda but also hope that Nigeria can defeat Benin on Tuesday.
“It’s not a good situation, and of course, we are disappointed we didn’t get the win we needed,” a visibly dejected Broos told SABC Sport after the match. “But I can’t be angry with my players. We gave our all.”
The 73-year-old Belgian manager outlined the challenging scenario his team now faces. “We have to go again, try to win against Rwanda, and then see what happens,” Broos explained. “If everything goes as we need it to, with Benin losing in Nigeria, then we have a chance. We just have to focus on our job and hope for the best.”
This twist of fate means that for the next few days, Bafana Bafana and their fans will be watching the Nigeria-Benin clash with vested interest, hoping their continental rivals can deliver a victory that would hand South Africa control of the group.
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