Nigeria may have been having the upper hands in the past encounters with the South African national team, but the squad arriving through Lagos on Wednesday night comes with in intimidating credentials.
Sports Village Square gathered from South African sources that the Bafana Bafana team has remained unbeaten in 17 consecutive matches.
This is two matches shot of the longest unbeaten run Nigeria ever had when the late Stephen Keshi had 19-match unbeaten run from June 3, 2012 lone goal defeat of Namibia in Calabar till Diego Forlan inspired Uruguay to a 2-1 in the June 20, 2013 FIFA Confederation Cup tie in Salvador, Brazil.
But South Africa’s 17-game unbeaten run will face one of its most acidic tests on Saturday when they meet Super Eagles.
According to South African sources, Bafana Bafana has not tasted defeat since a losing 2-0 at home to Angola in an African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier in October 2015.
Since then they have beaten Egypt and Senegal‚ and drawn with African champions Cameroon (twice) though all but one of those matches was at home.
But the South African publication, Timeslive wrongly believes it is the longest unbeaten run by an African nation. But the publication conceded that many of the continent’s top teams have faced much stiffer opposition than Bafana over the last two years.
Eight of Bafana’s matches have been against teams from the COSAFA region‚ who they rarely lose to‚ while also included in the run are games against Gambia‚ Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau‚ matches South Africa would also expect to at least draw.
“Facing nemesis Nigeria away is a different proposition‚ though if they can avoid defeat will be confident of extending their unbeaten run considerably further with Zambia and then the COSAFA Castle Cup to come at home‚ as well as home and away ties with Botswana in the (CHAN) qualifiers in July.
On the other hand, Nigeria have only lost one competitive fixture at home in 36 years‚ a shock 3-2 loss to Congo-Brazzaville in 2014‚ which is also their only ever home loss in the Nations Cup qualifiers since they first entered the preliminary competition in 1961.
In Bafana’s current unbeaten run they have won nine matches and drawn eight. BAFANA BAFANA’S UNBEATEN RUN
24/10/15 (a) v Angola 2-1 (Fabrício 29’og‚ Lakay 90’)
13/11/15 (a) v Angola 3-1 (Rantie 13’‚ Gabuza 20’‚ Jali 80’pen)
17/11/15 (h) v Angola 1-0 (Diniz 69’og)
26/03/16 (a) v Cameroon 2-2 (Rantie 17’‚ Kekana 50’)
29/03/16 (h) v Cameroon 0-0
05/06/16 (a) v Gambia 4-0 (Gabuza 30’‚ 38’‚ Dolly 56’‚ 80’)
18/06/16 (a) v Lesotho 1-1 (Motupa 66’)
22/06/16 (a) v Swaziland 5-1 (Kutumela 52’‚ Phiri 57’‚ Masuku 60’‚ 83’‚ Moseamedi 75’)
25/06/16 (a) v Botswana 3-2 (Motupa 33’pen‚ 88’pen‚ Kutumela 66’)
02/09/16 (h) v Mauritania 1-1 (Kekana 26’)
06/09/16 (h) v Egypt 1-0 (Makola 7’)
08/10/16 (a) v Burkina Faso 1-1 (Furman 80’)
11/10/16 (h) v Ghana 1-1 (Patosi 52’)
12/11/16 (h) v Senegal 2-1 (Hlatshwayo 43’pen‚ Serero 45’)
16/11/16 (a) v Mozambique 1-1 (Grobler 56’)
25/03/17 (h) v Guinea-Bissau 3-1 (Erasmus 35’pen‚ Tau 69’‚ Jali 89’pen)
28/03/17 (h) v Angola 0-0