Nigeria’s hopes of securing a place at the World Cup are hanging by a thread after the Super Eagles failed to claim maximum points against Zimbabwe.
Nigeria needed a win to put the pressure on South Africa but they ended up with a draw—a result that feels like a defeat for millions of Nigerian fans.
Victor Osimhen gave Nigeria the lead in the 74th minute with a diving header, but Tawanda Chirewa equalized late in the game. Many Nigerians blamed head coach Eric Chelle, citing poor substitutions and a failure to see out the match as the reasons for the dropped points.
Nigeria currently sits fourth in Group C with seven points from six matches, trailing leaders South Africa by six points. While Nigeria still has a crucial match against Bafana Bafana, a win alone won’t guarantee World Cup qualification—they would also need South Africa to lose another game.
South Africa’s final four fixtures are against Lesotho, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Rwanda, while Nigeria must secure maximum points from their remaining matches against Rwanda, South Africa, Lesotho, and Benin Republic.
If Nigeria fails to top the group, a playoff spot looks unlikely, as second-placed teams in other groups have accumulated more points.
Nigeria has never missed back-to-back World Cups since making their debut in 1994.
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