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Zimbabwe peg back Nigeria in 2026 FIFA World Cup race

Our Reporters1 week ago1 week ago03 mins

Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals suffered a setback on Tuesday after the Warriors of Zimbabwe scored a last-minute equalizer in their Matchday 6 encounter at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. The result meant the Super Eagles are still stuck in fourth place in group C, as leaders South Africa put daylight between themselves and the rest of the pack with a matured 2-0 win over Benin Republic in Abidjan, that took them to 13 points. Benin Republic’s Cheetahs and Rwanda’s Amavubi are both on eight points, one more than the Super Eagles, with four rounds of matches left, to be played over the months of September and October. Usual suspect Victor James Osimhen, playing his 40th match for the Nigeria senior team, scored to put Nigeria in front after 73 minutes, making hay from Olaoluwa Aina’s cross from the left that escaped every Zimbabwean player in the defence. With robust confidence and a positive spirit from their win over Rwanda in Kigali on Friday, Nigeria launched onslaught after onslaught particularly through the left side of the Zimbabwean defence, with Simon Moses always in good flow, but goalkeeper Washington Arubi thwarted their forays and kept his team in the game. Three minutes after Osimhen’s goal, the visitors could have scored as Khama Billiat broke from the left and the Super Eagles were only saved by the crossbar. Substitute Tawanda Chireda would eventually find the leveller on the dot of 90 minutes, as the Warriors swept past the Nigeria rearguard and he cleverly poked past goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali from close range.

2026 World Cup Race: Eagles focused on three points against Warriors

Our Reporters2 weeks ago2 weeks ago03 mins

The Super Eagles expect to rise to nine points and be fully back into contention for a 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket after Tuesday’s African Qualification Series Matchday 6 encounter against the Warriors of Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. Team captain William Ekong reiterated on Monday afternoon that the three-time African champions will seek to control the game the way they did the encounter with Rwanda in Kigali on Friday, and then work hard to get the goals that will give them the three points and fully establish them as one of the contenders for the ticket. “We are looking forward to a win. The three points are important to us. At this stage, we cannot afford to drop any more points. Our aim is to take it one match at a time, collect three points here and there and hope fervently that these will be enough to get us the ticket.” Without a win in their first four games of the series, Nigeria languished in fifth place in the six-team group C and remained in a perilous situation, until Friday’s robust win over Rwanda in Kigali threw them up as a proposition for the ticket to the finals. Nigeria, with six points, moved up to fourth position, while Zimbabwe, on three, prop up the table, and will seek to increase their haul in Tuesday’s encounter. The Warriors’ 45-man contingent, led by the ZIFA Vice President, Kennedy Ndebele, landed at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo on Friday afternoon, 85 minutes after the arrival of the Super Eagles’ contingent from Kigali. While the Warriors trained at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Sunday morning, the Super Eagles trained at the same venue in the evening, watched by some members of the NFF Executive Committee, the General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi, SSA to Mr. President Mr. Anthony Adeyinka Adeboye, Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports, Etubom Paul Bassey, former NFF General Secretary Barr. Musa Amadu and some officials of the NSC and the NFF.