Nigerian officials insist they had no alternative but to go ahead with Sunday's warm-up, where 16 people were injured outside the ground.
Two policemen were among those hurt during a crush outside the Makhulong Stadium in Johannesburg, as the Nigerians faced North Korea.
Entry to the game was free, but many more than the 10,000 capacity turned up, prompting a crowd surge.
But Nigerian officials say they could not have organised another venue.
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) board member Taiwo Ogunjobi told BBC Sport that it was impossible to find a bigger ground to host a game of such magnitude.
