Breaking News
South Africa’s Sports Minister Says He Hopes Nigeria Misses 2026 World Cup
South Africa’s Sports Minister, Gayton McKenzie, says he wishes Nigeria fails to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, accusing the Super Eagles of trying to sabotage South Africa’s campaign.
South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has stirred controversy after declaring that he hopes Nigeria fails to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking in an interview with Radio 947 in Johannesburg, McKenzie accused Nigeria of attempting to sabotage South Africa’s qualification efforts during the World Cup qualifiers.
The remarks come amid heightened rivalry between the two nations following a tense qualifying campaign.
South Africa’s bid to reach the tournament appeared in jeopardy after FIFA deducted three points from their tally for fielding an ineligible player, threatening their automatic qualification.
Nigeria capitalised on the development by winning their final two group matches to remain in contention for the top spot. However, Bafana Bafana eventually secured the Group C ticket with a commanding 3-0 victory over Rwanda, booking their first World Cup appearance since 2010.
Nigeria, meanwhile, will now battle through the continental playoffs to keep their qualification dreams alive — a path McKenzie said he does not want them to succeed in.
“I heard you saying earlier that we [South Africa] were rooting also for Nigeria,” McKenzie said.
“I want to make it very clear that I wish for them not to qualify [for the 2026 FIFA World Cup].”
The 51-year-old, a former gangster turned politician, claimed that Nigeria worked “behind the scenes” to hinder South Africa’s qualification hopes.
“I knew what they did behind the scenes for us not to get there (qualify for the World Cup). I want them to lose; they will not go to the World Cup, and another African country must go,” he alleged.
McKenzie clarified that his comments were not driven by personal animosity but by sporting rivalry.
“It’s not that I don’t like Nigeria. I give the energy you give — they don’t like us and we don’t like them, that is all,” he said.
“It’s not personal. It’s like [the rivalry] between [Kaizer] Chiefs and [Orlando] Pirates.”
Nigeria will face Gabon in the continental playoff in November, and if victorious, they will advance to meet either DR Congo or Cameroon in a final showdown for a spot in the intercontinental playoffs — their last chance to reach the 2026 World Cup.
Opinion Nigeria News
The Pragmatism of Principle: Redefining Loyalty in an Age of Change -By Florence Ozor
While I do not endorse political nomadism, one must acknowledge that strategic realignment can be expedient. Take Peter Obi: after...
Lessons for Today: MLK for Continental African Leadership – A Psychoafricalytic Mirror for Power, Dignity, and Continental Renewal -By Psychologist John Egbeazien Oshodi
When African leaders abandon indigenous wisdom, they often adopt the colonial logic of control. Citizens become subjects. Protest becomes treason....
The Poverty Crisis: A Global Challenge to Human Dignity and Development -By Jennifer Joab
The poverty crisis is not just an economic problem but a profound human tragedy that affects the social, political, and...
Good Governance as a Tool for National Development -By Blessing Matthew
Good governance prioritizes the interests and welfare of the people above personal or sectional interests. It encourages transparency, accountability, rule...
Role of Youths in Nation Building -By Kusompwa Lazarus Motiyedi
It is true that today’s youth did not experience the horrors of the Nigerian Civil War or the severe economic...