Nigeria vs South Africa: Hugo Broos takes subtle jibe at Super Eagles following FIFA qualifier draw

The Super Eagles of Nigeria commenced Finidi George's reign as manager with an underwhelming draw against South Africa's Bafana.

The crunch qualification fixture, which could largely impact the West African nation's trajectory to seal a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saw the Nigerian team fight back to earn only a draw on the night.

However, in the aftermath of the fixture, the coach of the South African team, Hugo Broos, appeared to take a swipe at his Nigerian counterpart while praising the immense work of his players.

Hugo Broos takes a swipe at Nigeria

In his post-match conference, as reported by AllNigeriaSoccer, the septuagenarian coach expressed his delight with his team's performance.

Broos highlighted that the Super Eagles were expected to be their toughest opponents but have made a sluggish start to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, drawing all three of their matches, including two at home.

"Normally, when you see the draw of the group, you know that Nigeria will be your biggest opponent to be first in the group. So, when you come here, you hope to have at least one point," Broos stated.

Aiming what appeared to be a slight jibe at the Super Eagles, he continued:

"It was very important today not to lose that game, and I also said that the pressure was on Nigeria. Nigeria has now played three draws, including two home games."

The draw against South Africa means the Nigerian team are now without a victory in their last three competitive matches, according to data from Fotmob.

However, the Super Eagles can salvage what is fast becoming a calamitous campaign with a victory against the Benin Republic. South Africa, on the other hand, will host Zimbabwe on June 10.