The Super Eagles of Nigeria were held to a 1-1 draw by Zimbabwe on Tuesday in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier, dealing a major blow to their hopes of reaching the tournament.
Playing at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria took the lead in the 74th minute through Victor Osimhen, but Zimbabwe equalized in stoppage time, leaving the home crowd frustrated.
Nigeria started the match strongly, creating several goal-scoring chances, but missed key opportunities. Zimbabwe’s defense also stood firm to deny the Super Eagles an early breakthrough.
After continued pressure, Moses Simon delivered a low cross into the box, and Osimhen finished with a fine header to put Nigeria in front.
Just minutes later, Zimbabwe almost responded immediately, but their effort hit the crossbar.
Nigeria had a chance to seal the win when Wilfred Ndidi found himself through on goal, but he failed to convert. That miss proved costly, as Zimbabwe’s Tawanda Chirewa found the back of the net in the 90th minute, beating goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali at his near post.
With the draw, Nigeria remains in fourth place with seven points from six games, making their chances of qualification even more difficult.
Meanwhile, in another Group C match, South Africa defeated Benin Republic 2-0, moving to 13 points from six games and strengthening their hold at the top of the table. Rwanda, in second place, played out a draw against Lesotho.
Only the top team from each group qualifies directly for the World Cup, while the four best second-placed teams will compete in a play-off for a final chance at qualification through an intercontinental playoff.
