FIFA has officially confirmed that South Africa’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Nigeria will take place at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.
The match, a key fixture in Group C of the African qualifiers, is scheduled to kick off at 5:00 p.m. Nigerian time, according to Gordon Savic, FIFA’s Head of Qualifiers and International Matches, who communicated the details through the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The Toyota Stadium, a 46,000-capacity facility previously known as Vodacom Park and later Free State Stadium, is one of South Africa’s most iconic sports arenas. Opened in 1995, it was among the venues used during the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosted by South Africa.
This matchday eight encounter is seen as a critical clash in the race to secure Africa’s sole automatic qualification spot for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Group C also includes Benin, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho. Only the group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the second-placed teams across all groups may enter the CAF play-offs for another shot at qualification through the inter-confederation play-offs.
Nigeria currently faces an uphill task following a shaky start to their qualification campaign. With four matches remaining, the Super Eagles are still mathematically in the race but must secure maximum points to stay in contention.
After September’s double-header against Rwanda and South Africa, Nigeria will travel to face Lesotho before wrapping up their campaign with a home game against Benin in October.
The reverse fixture between Nigeria and South Africa, played in Uyo in June, ended in a 1–1 draw. Themba Zwane opened the scoring for Bafana Bafana, while Fisayo Dele-Bashiru equalised early in the second half for the Super Eagles.
Nigeria, three-time African champions, are seeking to return to the World Cup after missing out on the 2022 edition in Qatar. They have appeared in six of the last eight tournaments and will need a strong finish to the qualifiers to reach their seventh finals appearance.
