Linda Buthelezi is convinced Bafana will beat Nigeria

Popularly known as Mercedes Benz, 1996 Afcon winner Linda Buthelezi strongly believes the current Bafana Bafana team will beat Nigeria to reach the final on Wednesday evening.

Buthelezi says coach Hugo Broos has assembled a strong Bafana squad to beat Nigeria in a crucial Afcon semi-final clash in Ivory Coast on Wednesday.

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The retired Bafana midfielder was part of the ’96 Afcon winning squad as they beat Tunisia in the final on homesoil under the late Clive Barker, and now backs the side to beat Nigeria.

Speaking about the upcoming Afcon semi-final contest against the Super Eagles of Nigeria, the Bafana legend and winner tips the team to beat the West Africans and seal a spot in the Afcon final.

The ’96 Afcon winner with Bafana, Buthelezi formed a deadly midfield partnership with Eric Tinkler and he strongly believes the current team has the upper hand to beat Nigeria.

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Formerly on the books of Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates, and Kaizer Chiefs, the ’96 Afcon winner, Buthelezi believes Bafana will beat Nigeria despite boasting big-name stars such as Victor Osimhen.

“You know what I’ve noticed about the Nigerians is that they’ve always felt they are better than us when it comes to football. It’s in their nature and they can’t help themselves,” the ’96 Afcon winner said about the Bafana and Nigeria clash per TimesLIVE.

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“I’m quite sure in their minds they just can’t imagine themselves losing to a South African team that doesn’t have a lot of big-name stars.

“But they will meet something different in this group of Bafana players. They [SA] are hungry for success, and the belief now is quite high compared to when they started their tournament.

“I’ve been impressed with the way they play. They didn’t play that well against Cape Verde, but they have done well in the other games, playing as a unit. That will be key.”

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Taking a glance at previous meetings between Nigeria and Bafana, the Super Eagles boast seven wins, five draws, and two defeats out of their 14 clashes against Mzansi.

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The hard-tacking Bafana midfielder back in his heyday, Buthelezi looks at the current midfielders such as Sphephelo Sithole, saying they have done exceptionally well to beat Nigeria.

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“We have tall players at the back, Sphephelo Sithole in the midfield, and Evidence Makgopa upfront [are also tall], and the rest of our guys are short,” added Buthelezi ahead of the Nigeria clash.

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“Our team has a good mixture of players that allows us to be able to compete in the air and also play on the ground.

“Also, Nigerian football is not where it used to be before when they had players such [1990s star] Sunday Oliseh.”