Super Eagles’ World Cup Ambition Suffers Shock Draw

*Zimbabwe’s Warriors snatch last minute draw in Uyo 

Duro Ikhazuagbe 

Super Eagles dream of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals suffered a blow yesterday after the Warriors of Zimbabwe scored a last-minute equaliser in their Matchday 6 encounter at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.

Now, the Eagles who had plotted to add the three points from the match to the three from last Friday win against Rwanda in Kigali are now stuck in fourth place in Group  C on seven points.

South Africa who defeated Benin Republic 2-0 in Abidjan are now the run away leaders on 13 points, needing just two more wins to take the group ticket.

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.

As it was the case in Kigali, Galatasaray forward, Victor Osimhen, playing his 40th match for the senior team, scored his 26th Nigerian goal  to put Eagles in front after 74 minutes. He scored 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.  

Rwanda and Lesotho played out a 1-1 draw in Kigali in the third game of the Group.

GROUP C 

Teams.                P. W. D. L. GF. GA. GD Pts 

South Africa.       6.  4.  1.   1.  10.  5.    +5.  13

Rwanda .             6.   2.  2.  2.  4.   4.     0.    8

Benin .                  6.  2.   2.  2.  6.  7.    -1.     8

Nigeria.                6.  1.    4.  1.  7.  6.    +1.    7

Lesotho .             6.   1.   3.   2.  4. 5.    -1.    6

Zimbabwe.          6.   0.  4.   2.  5.  9.   -4.   4

RESULTS 

Angola 1-2 Cape Verde

Benin 0-2 South Africa

Nigeria 1-1 Zimbabwe 

Rwanda 1-1 Lesotho 

Uganda 1-0 Guinea

Botswana – Somalia

Burundi – Seychelles 

Cameroon – Libya

Egypt – S’Leone 

Sudan – S’Sudan