Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup took another hit after a frustrating 1-1 draw with Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
The Super Eagles had reignited their campaign with a 2-0 win over Rwanda last Friday, but against the Warriors, Eric Chelle’s side struggled to convert their dominance into goals. Despite creating several chances, they lacked the cutting edge in front of goal.
The breakthrough finally came in the 73rd minute when Moses Simon lofted a well-placed ball to Tolu Arokodare, who flicked it into the path of Ola Aina. The Nottingham Forest defender delivered a pinpoint cross, and Victor Osimhen rose to glance a header past the Zimbabwean goalkeeper.
Osimhen’s goal—his 26th for Nigeria—was his seventh in World Cup qualifying, surpassing Yakubu Aiyegbeni’s record of six. Only Obafemi Martins (10) has now scored more World Cup qualifying goals for the Super Eagles.
However, the visitors stunned the home crowd in the 90th minute when Tawanda Chirewa capitalized on slack defending, racing through unchallenged before calmly slotting the ball past Stanley Nwabali.
The result leaves Nigeria in fourth place with seven points, trailing South Africa, Rwanda, and Benin, who each have eight points. South Africa’s 2-0 away win over Benin saw them extend their lead at the top to 13 points, putting Nigeria six points behind with only four games remaining.
Only one team is guaranteed an automatic slot from the nine groups in the African qualification series. The four best losers go for a play-off, a prerequisite for an inter-continental playoff.