We had the power in our team - South Africa coach hails Bafana Bafana’s fight in draw against Super Eagles

South Africa’s head coach Hugo Broos has praised his players for standing toe-to-toe with the Super Eagles in their 1-1 draw at the Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, in Tuesday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

The match saw William Troost-Ekong put the ball into his own net in the 25th minute, before Calvin Bassey equalised for Nigeria just before half-time.

Speaking after the match, Broos said he had warned his players to expect a tough physical contest.

“It was a match like I expected, physical match much harder from the opponent. In the second half they tried to win with power football, but we did a very good game also,” he told SABC Sport.

“We had the power in our team also, we fought for it. I said before the game we will try to win but if it’s a draw then I’m happy also. If you can’t win with good football you have to do it with fighting, and this is what they did.”

Broos highlighted his players’ determination, noting that even those who were exhausted continued to run for every ball until the final whistle.

The Belgian tactician also praised the maturity shown by his squad, contrasting it with past failures in similar scenarios.

“Three, four years ago, when we played this kind of match, we always lost it. But today there was a team on the pitch that fought for every ball. It was very physical and I think it prepares the players a lot in that aspect,” Broos added.

South Africa remains on course to qualify as Group C leaders, with Broos stressing that just one more win could seal their ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.