2026 WCQ: Eagles will approach Bafana Match with confidence – Ekong

Captain William Ekong has assured that there will be no diffusion in the Super Eagles game when they face Bafana Bafana in South Africa in a classification match of the potentially explosive FIFA World Cup in Bloemfontein on Tuesday night.

The defender, who was voted by the man of competition at the finals of the African Nations Cup last year in Ivory Cote, said that the Eagles will not think of their penalty defeat by Bafana in the semifinal stage of that competition.

“We defeat them in the Africa Cup, but that is in the past and some changes have been made since then. Our approach will be devoid of arrogance; we will play with the level heads and we will do everything possible for victory. There will be no arrogance, but we will not have a difficult sense.

“South Africa is a good team that we respect, but we just have to go to the field and play our game. Our goal has not changed; we want to go to the FIFA World Cup finals next year.”

Coach Eric Chelle said he will set his best foot of the first explosion of the whistle of the Gabonese referee Pierre Ghislain Atcho in the Toyota Stadium.

“We have come here to play for the three points, so we will send to the team that will do the job. We are happy to have surpassed Rwanda, but we have to conquer here tomorrow to be in a good position for the qualification.”

Although Nigeria began the race badly, Chelle has chosen seven points of nine in his three games with the team and believes that the group he has been working with has the ability to put things on his head and leave Bafana Bafana in the ditch.

After the official training of Monday at the Toyota Stadium, the High Commissioner of Nigeria in the Republic of South Africa, his excellence Tope Ajayi accused the Super Eagles to promulgate their best game and start the three points in the day.

“I have the confidence that we will win, and many South Africans also believe that Nigeria will win. We should leave and play with taste, trust and courage, and refuse to be intimidated by anything.

“When the Super Falcons came here to play Banyana Banyana, I told them before the game that I could see them return to the Olympic Games after 16 years, and they did. Now, I am telling you that I am seeing you in the FIFA 2026 World Cup and it will be so.”

Tuesday’s game will begin at 6pm in South Africa (5pm in Nigeria).

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