South Africa have taken a crucial step toward the 2026 World Cup, opening a two-point gap in Group C after a 2-0 victory over Lesotho at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday night.

After a tense goalless first half, the breakthrough came in the 60th minute when Relebohile Mofokeng fired home the opening goal. Just four minutes later, Jayden Adams doubled the lead, sealing an important win for Bafana Bafana and strengthening their position at the top of the group.

Meanwhile, Nigeria reignited their qualifying hopes with a 2-0 triumph over Rwanda in Kigali. Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen delivered a first-half brace to secure the win, but the Super Eagles remain four points behind South Africa at the halfway stage of the qualifiers.

Despite their advantage, Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos is counting on Nigeria to play a key role in his team’s World Cup journey. Speaking after the Lesotho match, Broos acknowledged the Super Eagles’ renewed urgency in the qualifiers.

“I said earlier that there is one team who can help us a lot, and it is Nigeria,” Broos remarked confidently during the post-match press conference. “They cannot afford to drop points anymore. Against every team, they will fight to win, and for now, we are four points ahead of them.”

Broos emphasized that while Nigeria’s competitiveness will benefit South Africa, his team must remain focused on their own performance. With an upcoming clash against Gernot Rohr’s Republic of Benin on Tuesday in Ivory Coast, he urged his players to stay disciplined and avoid costly mistakes.

“The situation is favorable for us, but it’s up to us to keep it that way,” Broos concluded. “If we do our job, Nigeria will help us — you’ll see.”

As the World Cup qualifiers heat up, all eyes will be on both South Africa and Nigeria as they battle for a coveted spot on the global stage.