South Africa’s striker Lyle Foster has stated that his side is not under any form of pressure ahead of Tuesday’s 2026 World Cup qualifying match against the Super Eagles of Nigeria, www.aclsports.com reports.
The mouth-watering clash between the two sides at the Free State Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein could determine the direction of things in the group. Bafana Bafana are aiming to play at the World Cup for the first time since 2010, when they hosted, while Nigeria are on the brink of missing out on two consecutive World Cups for the first time.
Foster, who plays for Premier League club Burnley, was on the scoresheet for Hugo Broos’s side in their 3-0 win over Lesotho on Friday evening, and has backed his teammates to remain focused on the goal of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
“I don’t necessarily think there’s pressure on us,” the 25-year-old forward said in quotes revealed by Timeslive ZA.
“I think at the moment we are where we wanted to be in the group, and that’s a positive. I think pressure is on the guys who are trying to get to us [Nigeria], but that doesn’t mean we should take our foot off the pedal.”
The Soweto-born striker stressed that they must exhibit the same winning mentality when they take on the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
“I think we should just have the same mentality, keep things steady, take it game by game, and stay humble. I don’t necessarily think there’s pressure; pressure is on those who are trying to get to us.
“I think we had a good start, but the most important thing is trying to push forward and make sure that we seal it,” Foster concluded.
South Africa lead Group C in the CAF World Cup Qualifiers with 16 points and a +8 goal difference, and they sit five points clear of second-placed Benin, while Nigeria trail in third, just one point off their neighbours. If the Super Eagles fail to overcome South Africa on Tuesday, their hopes of reviving their qualification campaign will be dashed.
