South Africa’s Minister Wants Nigeria To Miss Out On 2026 World Cup Qualification

South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has publically expressed his privation that Nigeria’s Super Eagles bash not suffice for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. His comments travel successful airy of the ongoing qualification run and the humanities tensions betwixt the 2 nations successful football.

During an interrogation with Radio 947 successful Johannesburg, McKenzie accused Nigerian shot officials of allegedly obstructing South Africa’s bid for qualification. The rivalry intensified arsenic some teams were drawn into the aforesaid qualifying group.

South Africa faced important challenges successful their campaign, peculiarly erstwhile FIFA deducted 3 points for fielding an ineligible player. This setback momentarily threatened their chances of automatic qualification. However, the Super Eagles capitalised connected the situation, securing back-to-back victories successful their concluding matches, heightening contention for the group’s apical spot.

Ultimately, South Africa clinched archetypal spot successful Group C with a decisive 3–0 triumph implicit Rwanda, marking their instrumentality to the World Cup for the archetypal clip since 2010. Nigeria finished 2nd and present indispensable navigate a continental playoff way to unafraid their spot successful the tournament.

Addressing the rivalry, McKenzie firmly stated that South Africans are not successful enactment of Nigeria’s World Cup ambitions. “I privation to marque it precise wide that I privation for them not to suffice for the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” helium declared.

The minister, who has a past arsenic a assemblage activistic and businessman, suggested that Nigeria has sought to power the qualification process unfavourably towards South Africa. “I knew what they did down the scenes for america not to get there. I privation them to lose; they volition not spell to the World Cup. Another African state should go,” helium asserted.

However, McKenzie clarified that his sentiments stem from what helium views arsenic a steadfast sporting rivalry alternatively than idiosyncratic animosity. “It’s not that I don’t similar Nigeria. It’s conscionable rivalry — similar the 1 betwixt [Kaizer] Chiefs and [Orlando] Pirates,” helium explained.

Looking ahead, Nigeria is acceptable to look Gabon successful the continental playoff tourney successful November. A palmy lucifer would pb them to a last playoff necktie against either Congo DR oregon Cameroon, with the accidental to unafraid 1 of Africa’s remaining intercontinental playoff slots. Failing to advancement would mean Nigeria misses consecutive World Cup appearances for the archetypal clip since 1994.