Broos hails Bafana’s fighting spirit after Nigeria stalemate

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has praised his side’s grit and resilience following their hard-fought draw against Nigeria at the Free State Stadium, insisting it was not about flair but about fighting for every inch on the pitch.

The Belgian tactician was glowing in his assessment after seeing his side frustrate the Super Eagles, who arrived with a squad packed with big names but were unable to outplay South Africa’s determined unit.

“The best team will win the game and not the team with the best players and I think the proof is there,” Broos said. 

"So, the performance that my team put up (Tuesday) made me enormously proud. It was not good football but the way they fought for every metre and every ball. This is nice to see for a coach, especially in a game you know it’s required to have any chance of a result.”

Nigeria had lamented the absence of striker Victor Osimhen, but Broos quickly reminded critics that his own side were also without several first-choice players.

“I heard they (Nigeria) were complaining that Osimhen was not there. In South Africa, six players were not there,” he explained. “I think when you see the team of Nigeria, you have so many more opportunities with their players.”

Despite those absentees, Bafana looked organised and composed, a testament to the depth Broos has carefully built over the past three years. The coach highlighted the seamless integration of players as proof that South Africa no longer rely solely on a fixed core.

“So I don’t complain either, I want to have a team that when someone goes out, another is able to come in,” Broos said. 

“We saw that with Thabiso (Monyane) coming in for Zuko (Mdunyelwa). It makes me proud to have built a team like this – we’re not scared at the moment of injuries and that makes us very strong.”

The steady rise of youngsters such as Monyane and teenage defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi has further strengthened Bafana’s options, creating healthy competition across the squad. Broos has long maintained that South Africa’s success will depend more on collective unity than individual brilliance.

That philosophy was clear to see in Bloemfontein, where Bafana’s organisation and determination helped secure a 1-1 draw. 

The result not only frustrated Nigeria but also pushed South Africa closer to their dream of qualifying for the 2026 Fifa World Cup. With two qualifiers left, Broos’ men remain top of Group C, six points clear of the Super Eagles. 

More than the mathematics, though, the manner of the performance reaffirmed that this is a Bafana side no longer defined by its weaknesses but rather by its fight. Against Nigeria, players such as Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Mohau Nkota, Mdunyelwa, Sipho Mbule and Samukelo Kabini had less than five caps for Bafana.

“When you see the progression made by SA in this level of football, it is enormous. If SA two years ago had played against Nigeria, we would have lost. We knew in the second half that we could not win the game by playing football but fighting,” he said.

“When you see the Nigerian team, there is no Nigerian in the team," Broos continued.

"They all play abroad in big teams. We don't have that, but you see, it is not a disadvantage. We have good players and I hope that what we did with the national team, we will do in the future, so that those players get the opportunity to go to Europe.

As Broos emphasised, reputations will not secure a ticket to North America in 2026 — only a team willing to fight for every metre will.

Bafana will face Zimbabwe and Rwanda next month on home patches needing to win at least once to push off the advancements of second placed Benin and completely rule out Nigeria, who occupy third.