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| Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa...Photo Credit: Flickr | legio09 |
The Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein has been officially approved by FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to host the upcoming World Cup qualifying clash between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Doubts had lingered over the venue after concerns were raised about the poor condition of the playing surface. However, following fresh inspections, both governing bodies issued a joint statement confirming the stadium’s readiness.
> “Considering the encouraging progress observed on the pitch, both organisations have agreed that the matches will proceed as originally scheduled at the Free State Stadium,” the statement read.
With the clearance, Lesotho will play their “home” match at the same venue against fellow Southern African opponents on Friday, September 5, as they lack a FIFA-approved stadium.
South Africa will then host Nigeria at the Bloemfontein ground on September 9 in a decisive matchday eight encounter.
Currently, Bafana Bafana lead the group with 13 points from six matches, while Nigeria sit in fourth place on seven points, trailing Rwanda and Benin Republic.
For Eric Chelle’s Super Eagles, the equation is simple: they must take all six points from their fixtures against Rwanda and South Africa to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for a seventh FIFA World Cup, to be jointly staged in USA, Mexico, and Canada in 2026.
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