2026 World Cup: Okocha Warns Super Eagles Against South Africa

Retired Nigeria international Jay Jay Okocha has warned the Super Eagles to be weary of South Africa in pursuit of the 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket.

The Super Eagles alongside South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Benin, and Rwanda are in Group C of the CAF 2026 World Cup qualifiers and Jay Jay Okocha see the Bafana Bafana side as Nigeria’s major threat in the qualifiers.

Okocha believes that the group is in favour of the Super Eagles who failed to qualify for the 2022 edition of the competition after drawing 1-1 with Ghana in Abuja, thereby losing out in away goals rule.

The one time BBC African player of the year who was one of the football legends that were present in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, during the draw ceremony described South Africa as the strongest team in the group aside from the Super Eagles.

Okacha who has led Nigeria to advanced to the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup finals in three different editions said the three-time African champions must qualify for the 2026 edition of the tournament and follow in the footsteps of Morocco who made it to the semi-finals stage of the Qatar World Cup.

He said, “Aside the Eagles, Bafana are about the strongest team in that group and we (Eagles) must be very careful when we play them.

“We have not had it easy against them recently.

“Morocco showed that an African country could win the World Cup. We must follow the example of Morocco.”