Despite seeing South Africa prolong their lead atop Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification group, following a 3-0 spanking of Lesotho on Friday, former Tremendous Eagles’ winger, Femi Opabunmi has predicted victory for Eric Chelle’s crew on the identical venue on Tuesday.
Sports247 studies that Friday’s victory took South Africa’s haul as much as 16 factors, pending an official pronouncement by FIFA concerning a possible discount of three slots from Bafana Bafana’s booty, on account of their use of an inelligible participant of their first leg in opposition to the identical Lesotho.
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Although the setting now seems insurmountable for the Tremendous Eagles, who should first defeat Rwanda in Uyo on Saturday to maneuver as much as 10 factors on the log, Opabunmi believes the Nigerian crew can even win away in Bloemfontein on Tuesday so as to draw degree with Bafana Bafana on 13 factors if FIFA finally deduct three of South Africa’s slots.
Opabunmi, whose outing at Korea/Japan 2002 made him the Eagles’ youngest participant ever to play in a senior World Cup match, declared: “I at all times say unimaginable is nothing in soccer. Nothing is unimaginable for Nigeria, as a result of they are going to at all times strive their greatest.”
He argued additional that each one the gamers know what’s at stake and that their possibilities of making it to the primary World Cup to be co-hosted by three international locations crucially lies in them getting victories over Rwanda and South Africa, which he predicted will each come to cross.
“We’re in an important state of affairs for the time being, and they’re nonetheless going to South Africa. It is not going to be simple to win over there, however I imagine we are able to do it. We will obtain it with our dedication and with the gamers we have now.
“With the like of Osimhen, Lookman, Chukwueze and all the opposite strikers, I do know Nigeria will show what we’ve bought there. We want most three factors and we’ll get them,” Opabunmi affirmed.
