Hugo Broos: "They Feared Losing Against Us", Bafana Coach Reflects on AFCON 2023 Clash vs Nigeria

• Hugo Broos has reflected on Bafana's narrow defeat to the Super Eagles in the 2023 AFCON
• South Africa were eliminated by Nigeria in the semi-finals of the competition via penalties
• The Belgian coach has named a strong 23-man squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers

As the much-anticipated 2026 World Cup qualifiers between South Africa and Nigeria draws near, head coach, Hugo Broos, has opened up about the two teams' last encounter against each other.

The Belgian tactician, who has been at the helm of Bafana Bafana since 2021, recently shared his insights into their narrow defeat to the Super Eagles during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.

The match in question saw Jose Peseiro's men secure a 4-2 penalty shootout victory after the teams were deadlocked at 2-2 after extra time.

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According to Broos, the Nigerian team was wary of the threat posed by Bafana and frequently instructed their players to adopt a more defensive posture.

"We were very, very close. We played a very good game. I saw during the game, the coach of Nigeria always telling his players 'go back, go back' because they were afraid to lose against us," Broos told SABC Sports, as reported by Soccernet.

Despite the loss, the 73-year-old manager believes his team was close to causing an upset and reaching the final of the prestigious continental competition.

Undeterred by the narrow defeat, Broos has now set his sights on the upcoming qualifiers, where he will have the chance to avenge the 2023 AFCON loss.

He has named a strong 23-man squad, with a few new faces joining the team. Relebohile Mofokeng was the only one out of the three newcomers on the preliminary list to make the final selection, while the major talking point was the exclusion of Evidence Makgopa, who was the main striker for the tournament in Abidjan.

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Per iDiski Times, South Africa's first game in the double-header will be against Nigeria at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, on Friday, June 7, followed by a clash against Zimbabwe at the Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, on Tuesday, June 11.

Broos commits to Bafana until 2026 World Cup

Sports Brief reported that Broos reassured his team he was staying put amid rumours linking him to the Tunisian national team position.

Reports emerging from North Africa suggested the Belgian tactician was being eyed as a potential successor to Jalal Kadri.

Despite speculation claiming he had already agreed to join the Carthage Eagles at the end of his current deal with the South African Football Association (SAFA), he has suggested this was false.