Durban is mounting a serious campaign to secure hosting rights for South Africa’s highly anticipated 2026 World Cup qualifier against Nigeria, with top provincial officials personally appealing to South African Football Association (SAFA) leadership.
The Bafana Bafana will play host to Nigeria in the round seven fixture of the World Cup qualifiers in September, with both teams yearning for maximum points.
South African currently leads Group C with 13 points after six matches, five points clear at the top ahead of second placed Rwanda.
On the other hand, Nigeria, who will face South Africa on September 8, is in fourth place and has only seven points from six group stage matches.
The Ethekwini municipal authorities submitted a bid last year to host the match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, the home ground for Kaizer Chiefs.
And according to the district football federation president, Mazwi Mkhize, their intentions remain as firm as ever.
“We want to host this match because it’s the kind of game that draws massive crowds, just like the Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates Cup final. But you have to make your bid now, because other provinces are also keen to land this fixture. The rights to host will go to whoever puts the highest offer on the table. If another provincial government says, ‘I have these millions,’ then that’s how it is. But we want the Nigeria match to happen here.
A few days ago, when we attended the Standard Bank games presentation, the KZN Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr. Khawula, was there. He emphasized to Danny Jordaan that we want the Nigeria match to be played in Durban. So, when the government gets involved, things become a lot easier. But overall, we specifically targeted this game as soon as we found out Nigeria would be coming to South Africa. We want them to play at Moses Mabhida—you’ll see the crowd,” Mkhize told FARPost.
The bidding war underscores the match’s significance, combining sporting prestige with substantial economic benefits for the host city. Durban’s proponents argue their world-class stadium and proven track record of hosting major events gives them an edge, but recognize the competition will be decided in boardrooms rather than on footballing merits alone.
