Former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has conceded that South Africa fully earned their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, stating that Bafana Bafana's superior consistency throughout the qualifying campaign set them apart from Nigeria.

South Africa topped their qualifying group — which also included the Super Eagles — to book a return to the global showpiece for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010. Nigeria, meanwhile, failed to qualify for a second successive World Cup, crashing out to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the final round of the African playoffs.

Troost-Ekong backs Bafana Bafana

Speaking to SuperSport, the centre-back was candid in his assessment.