World Cup 2026 (Q): Nigeria wants to "relocate" two South Africa matches | OneFootball

South Africa - Nigeria

For the final rounds of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Lesotho and Zimbabwe are set to host South Africa on... South African soil. Nigeria is not on board with this plan.

In reality, since they lack approved stadiums, Lesotho and Zimbabwe are staging their matches in South Africa. As a result, both countries are scheduled to play as "hosts" against Bafana Bafana on South African soil on September 5 and October 6, during the 7th and 9th rounds of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Faced with this situation, Nigeria has no intention of standing idly by.

According to Sportswire, the Nigerian Football Federation has approached the Zimbabwean and Lesotho federations, proposing that these matches be played in a different country, and is even willing to cover part of the expenses to make it happen. Currently fourth in Group C with 7 points, Nigeria trails Benin and Rwanda (both on 8 points) and is well behind group leaders South Africa, who have 13 points. The race for qualification remains wide open as the campaign heads into its final stages.