Nigeria vs South Africa: The tale of a notable qualification rivalry
The two teams have met eight times, with Nigeria winning three matches and South Africa securing a notable victory against the Super Eagles in 2018. The remaining four encounters ended in draws.
Nigeria 4-0 South Africa (Lagos) October 10, 1992
The Super Eagles first faced Bafana Bafana in a qualifying series during the race for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. This match marked their first international encounter, with Nigeria triumphing 4-0 at the National Stadium in Lagos.
The four-goal thriller saw Clemens Westerhof’s men take a 34th minute lead after Richard Owubokiri headed home a Stephen Keshi free-kick past the stranded South African goalkeeper.
Samson Siasia extended the lead in the 56th minute, followed by Rasheed Yekini netting the third goal nine minutes later. Yekini completed his brace in the 89th minute, leaving the visitors to return home with heads bowed low.
In the reverse fixture at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on January 16, 1993, the match ended in a goalless draw, with both teams squandering numerous scoring chances.
That outcome contributed to Nigeria's advancement to the final qualifying round, where they ultimately secured one of Africa’s spots in the global football showpiece hosted by the United States of America.
Nigeria 2-0 South Africa (Abuja) June 1, 2008
It took 16 years for both countries to meet again in another qualifying match.
Despite South Africa having already secured qualification as hosts of the 2010 edition, they found themselves grouped with Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Equatorial Guinea in Group 4 of CAF’s second qualifying round.
The Super Eagles had the advantage of hosting the first leg, providing another opportunity to assert their dominance over their Southern African rivals.
Fuelled by the roaring atmosphere of the MKO Abiola Stadium, Nigeria, under the guidance of coach Shuaibu Amodu, clinched a 2-0 victory, courtesy of first-half goals from Ikechukwu Uche and Obinna Nwaneri.
Joel Santana's Bafana Bafana had an opportunity to narrow their deficit in the second half, but their lack of efficiency in front of goal, particularly from Surprise Moriri and Steven Pienaar, proved costly.
South Africa 0-1 Nigeria (Port Elizabeth) September 6, 2008
Despite playing on home turf, South Africa couldn't stop Nigeria's momentum, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat in front of their home supporters at Telkom Park, Port Elizabeth, during the reverse encounter.
South Africa began brightly, with Dele Ayenugba making saves from Benni McCarthy and Teko Modise. However, Nigeria's captain for the day, Yakubu Ayegbeni, and John Utaka struggled to pose a significant threat to goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, who had little to do throughout the match.
Ultimately, it was the Super Eagles who emerged victorious, thanks to Uche's goal in the 71st minute.
South Africa 0-0 Nigeria (Cape Town) September 10, 2014
Despite being the reigning African champions after their 2013 Africa Cup of Nations victory, where they defeated Burkina Faso 1-0 in the final, the Super Eagles were required to participate in the qualifiers for the 2015 tournament in Equatorial Guinea.
To secure qualification, they needed to navigate past their rivals South Africa, Congo, and Sudan in the third qualifying round.
Following a disappointing start with a 3-2 loss against Congo at the U. J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar, Stephen Keshi's team traveled to the Cape Town Stadium.
However, the intense match ended in a goalless draw, leaving the Super Eagles' chances of progressing uncertain.
Nigeria 2-2 South Africa (Uyo) November 19, 2014
This match was one that every Super Eagles fan would prefer to erase from memory, as the outcome dashed Nigeria's hopes of defending their title.
Despite requiring a decisive win at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium to secure the ticket by defeating Congo, Stephen Keshi’s team could only manage a draw, much to the dismay of the home supporters.
Although they controlled ball, the 2013 AFCON champions found themselves trailing 2-0 at half-time, courtesy of Tokelo Rantie’s double.
Even at a stronger performance in the second half that saw Nigeria equalise thanks to Sone Aluko’s brace, they couldn't find the crucial third goal needed as their hopes of qualification faded away.
Nigeria 0-2 South Africa (Uyo) June 10, 2017
After a 25-year wait, Bafana Bafana finally secured their first competitive victory over the Super Eagles in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.
Following their absence from the 2015 and 2017 AFCON tournaments, the Nigerian senior national team was eager to make a comeback to the biennial African showpiece.
However, it was a disappointing outcome for Gernot Rohr’s men, who fell flat against Stuart Baxter’s team at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.
Nigeria learned a harsh lesson as Rantie and Percy Tau scored the much-needed goals for South Africa in the second half.
South Africa 1-1 Nigeria (Johannesburg) November 17, 2018
Still stung by their loss in Uyo, the Super Eagles journeyed to the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg with only vengeance on their minds.
They displayed a commendable effort in Johannesburg, but the match ultimately ended without a winner or loser.
Nigeria seized an early lead in the ninth minute with an own goal credited to defender Buhle Mkhwanazi. However, the hosts quickly countered with an equaliser from Lebo Mothiba, marking his fourth international goal in just five appearances.
Both teams secured qualification for the 2019 tournament held in Egypt, ultimately won by the Algerian senior national team.
