South Africa Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie prays Nigeria miss out on 2026 World Cup

South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, wants Nigeria to miss out on the 2026 World Cup tournament to be staged in the USA, Canada and Mexico next year.

The Bafana Bafana, coached by Hugo Broos, booked their place with a convincing 3-0 victory over Rwanda on the final day of the African qualifiers on Tuesday.

The result saw South Africa finish top of their group with 18 points from 10 matches, edging out Benin and Nigeria in one of the tightest qualification races on the continent.

After seeing his outfit qualify for the global showpiece, McKenzie has openly declared he does not want the Super Eagles to qualify for the tournament.

His comments come in response to Nigeria’s involvement in South Africa’s complicated qualifying campaign for the tournament.

The Bafana Bafana were docked three points and three goals for fielding an ineligible player in their match against Lesotho, a decision that came after Nigeria, among other countries, protested and urged FIFA to take action.

“I heard you earlier saying that we (South Africa) will also root for Nigeria. I want to make it very clear: I wish for them not to qualify. They tried… I knew what they did behind the scenes. I want them to lose.” He said in an interview shared on X by South African journalist Robert Marawa.

He added firmly, “Nigeria must not go to the World Cup. Another African country must go.”

Nigeria secured a place in the playoffs after a convincing 4-0 win over Benin Republic in their final qualifying match, a result that also helped South Africa finish as group leaders and book their spot in the tournament.

The Super Eagles will now compete in a four-team playoff tournament in Morocco next month, starting against Gabon. The winner of that match will face either Cameroon or Congo DR in the final playoff game.

The overall winner will advance to the intercontinental playoff, where two teams will earn a place at the 2026 World Cup.