FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) - Nigeria VS South Africa Prediction

FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) - Nigeria VS South Africa
Match Time: 08-06-2024 03:00 Saturday (GMT+8)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips
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Team Analysis
The stage is set for an exciting clash between South Africa and Nigeria in the third match of the group stage of the qualifying tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Both teams are touted as favorites, however, Nigeria appears to be the stronger contender. Unfortunately, neither team was able to participate in the previous World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

The Nigerian team has a remarkable association with football, having managed to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup thrice. However, they hit a rough patch between 2018 and 2024, only recently making a comeback in the 2024 African Cup of Nations through the efforts of strikers Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Kelechi Iheanacho. In the current selection for the World Cup, the team has played two matches, both ending in a draw.

South Africa, on the other hand, has been part of the World Cup thrice. Apart from being the host once, they've qualified twice. Their best performance in the last 20 years was at the AFCON 2024 tournament where they finished third. Most of their national players compete at the national championship level, except for Michail Mayambela who plays in Cyprus. Their current standing for World Cup qualifiers is an intermediary second place in the group, with one defeat against Rwanda and one victory over Benin.

Head-to-Head
In the past five years, Nigeria and South Africa have faced each other only once in an important encounter during the semi-finals of the 2024 African Cup of Nations. The match ended in a 1-1 draw and the winners were decided through penalties with Nigeria emerging victorious with a score of 4:2.

Odds Analysis
Despite the superiority of the Super Eagles, their performances have been disappointing recently. They tend not to score many points and often act predictably. Meanwhile, South Africans appear more organized. Given the odds, it's believed that South Africa will emerge victorious with a handicap of +1.5.

When it comes to predicting goals, both teams aren't highly efficient resulting in a lack of goals. Their last encounter ended in a 1-1 draw which further confirms this prediction. It's believed that the match will end with fewer than 2.5 goals.

From a corner predictions perspective, both teams aren’t strong on the attacking front. South Africans typically achieve fewer than 3 serves per game, while Nigerians average 5.5 on the corners. So, it’s recommended to opt for 'Total Corners; Under 8.5'.

Despite Nigeria's need for a win, they seem to struggle with game organization and positional attack. Therefore, it is possible that the match may end with a score of 1:1. The preferable prediction is South Africa's victory with a handicap of +1.5. The odds stand at 1.57.

Pick: South Africa +1.5