2026 World Cup Qualifiers: Zimbabwe Frustrate Nigeria, South Africa Beat Benin Republic

In a 2026 World Cup qualifier, Zimbabwe’s 1-1 draw against Nigeria on Tuesday slighted the Super Eagles’ chances of winning.

Before Zimbabwe restored its lead in the 90th minute, Victor Osimhen scored in the 74th minute.

The Super Eagles’ first four matches in the qualification race had been a 0-2 defeat over Rwanda on Friday, so they were hoping to resurrect their World Cup hopes.

Nigeria faced off against the Warriors of Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Akwa Ibom. The match had a number of chances to start the game. However, some brave visitors’ defensive maneuvers prevented Eric Chelle’s side from finding the net.

Nigeria continued to look for a solution, but it was difficult to dismantle Zimbabwe’s defense. The Super Eagles made a breakthrough in the 74th minute, though! Osimhen likely nodded home in the far post while neatly connecting with a Simon Moses low cross. The Super Eagles won 1-0!

Zimbabwe, however, leveled things up shortly after Nigeria’s defense was sacked. The Super Eagles were only able to concede with the crossbar.

Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City struggled to place his shot well on goal, despite the Nigerian looking to score another goal. The Super Eagles later made up for it because the defense failed to stop a late Zimbabwean attack. In the 90th minute, Tawanda Chirewa broke Nigeria’s hearts by beating goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali in his near post!

With the draw, Nigeria are still rooted in fourth place, with seven points from six games. In another Group C match, South Africa improved to a 0-2 victory over the Benin Republic, bringing them closer to the World Cup. With 13 points from six games, the Bafana Bafana are now in command of the group’s top spot. They are five points clear of Lesotho, which lost to Rwanda.

Source: Channels TV