Nigeria’s Super Eagles suffered a massive setback in their quest to qualify for next year’s World Cup after being held to a 1-1 draw at home against Zimbabwe.
Victor Osimhen’s header seemed to secure vital points for the Super Eagles until Huddersfield Town striker Taranda Chirewa equalised for the visitors in the 90th minute, quieting the crowd at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.
This result places Nigeria in fourth position in Group C of the CAF qualifying section, trailing six points behind leaders South Africa after six matches. With only the top team in each group guaranteed a spot in the finals for 2026, the upcoming game against Bafana Bafana in September will be crucial for Nigeria’s chances.
It appeared that Galatasaray forward Osimhen, who netted twice against Rwanda a few days ago, would once again be the hero for his team after they squandered numerous chances against the weakest side in the group. Goalkeeper Washington Arubi made several impressive saves in the first half to thwart Osimhen, while Samuel Chukwueze, Alex Iwobi, and Ademola Lookman failed to convert scoring opportunities.
Osimhen finally broke the deadlock in the 74th minute, heading in a cross from Ola Aina on the left and sending the home supporters into a frenzy, though they came close to conceding just three minutes later when goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali mishandled a cross, leading to a loose ball that struck the underside of the crossbar.
Wilfred Ndidi squandered an excellent opportunity to make it 2-0, and he overlooked Chirewa’s run as Zimbabwe snatched an equaliser.
The 21-year-old Wolves loanee, who had only just entered the match after another substitute, Terrence Dzvukamanja, sustained an injury, slipped into the box and reached Tawanda Maswanhise’s cut-back ahead of William Troost-Ekong, ultimately guiding the ball past Nwabali.
