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Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Sport
Kevin Hand

South Africa close on World Cup 2026, but Nigeria left sweating

South Africa's Mohau Nkota celebrates with teammates after Nigeria's William Troost-Ekong scored an own goal to hand the home side the lead early in the eventual 1-1 draw [Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]

South Africa moved a step closer to the FIFA 2026 World Cup with a 1-1 home draw with Nigeria, who are left facing a nervy final two qualifying matches in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) group stages.

Bafana Bafana took the lead in the Group C encounter at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa on Tuesday when Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong put through his own net in the 25th minute.

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