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South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has declared that he wants Nigeria to fail in their bid to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.
McKenzie made the inflammatory statement while reacting to Nigeria’s role in South Africa’s complicated qualifying journey, which saw both nations embroiled in a series of dramatic twists.
“I heard you earlier saying that we (South Africa) will also root for Nigeria,” McKenzie said in an interview shared on X by South African journalist Robert Marawa.
“I want to make it very clear: I wish for them not to qualify. I just want to make that one clear. They tried… I knew what they did behind the scenes. I want them to lose.
“Nigeria must not go to the World Cup. Another African country must go.”
When asked if his comments stemmed from any personal dislike for Nigerians,McKenzie replied:
“It’s not that. I give you the energy you give me. They don’t like us, we don’t like them. And it’s not personal.”
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McKenzie’s comments come in the aftermath of one of the most turbulent African World Cup qualifying campaigns in recent memory.
Both Nigeria and South Africa were drawn in Group C, where they produced identical 1-1 draws in their home fixtures.
While the Super Eagles struggled to find early form, Bafana Bafana initially led the group until disaster struck.
FIFA docked South Africa three points and three goals after they fielded an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in a 2-0 victory over Lesotho. The sanction completely changed the group standings, with Benin and Nigeria leading calls for punishment.
The ruling swung the momentum toward Benin, who climbed to the top before the decisive final round of matches. Fate then dealt an ironic twist: Benin faced Nigeria in Uyo, while South Africa hosted Rwanda.
If Benin had beaten Nigeria, they would have qualified automatically. But Nigeria’s emphatic 4-0 win not only crushed Benin’s hopes but also handed South Africa the group’s automatic World Cup ticket after their 3-0 triumph over Rwanda.
Many South Africans expressed gratitude to Nigeria for effectively sending them through, but McKenzie has rejected any sense of brotherhood, alleging hidden motives behind Nigeria’s actions.
