Nigeria’s World Cup Dreams Suffer Blow at Home to Zimbabwe

The Super Eagles of Nigeria on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, were held to a 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, Nigeria on Matchday six of the World Cup qualifiers.

Coming off the back of a 0-2 win over Rwanda on Friday, March 21, 2025, the Super Eagles were hopeful and confident in resuscitating their World Cup dreams after faltering in their first four matches in the qualification race.

The Éric Chelle-led side began the game on the front foot, creating a plethora of chances, but found it difficult to find the finish and ultimately paid for the missed chances.

In the 74th minute, Victor Osimhen who was making his 40th appearance for the Nigeria senior team, broke the deadlock as he flew into space for the header off Ola Aina’s cross, to get his 26th in the green-white-green. Substitute Tawanda Chireda eventually found the leveller on the dot of 90 minutes, as the Warriors got the better of the Super Eagles defence and cleverly poked past goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali from close range.

Speaking after the game, Chelle said that his team had dominated the game, particularly in the first half, but failed to capitalize on their scoring opportunities.

“Normally, we can score maybe 10 goals in the first half, we made some mistakes in the last technical skill, before the last two, and Zimbabwe came to defend, to stop the game.”

Chelle also felt that his team became complacent after scoring the goal in the second half. “So when we score the goal, we think that maybe it’s finished,” he said. “It means 10 seconds, I think it’s tough, it’s hard, because my players, my team was the best on the pitch, with the possession of the ball, with the fast attack, so we just missed some. I’m disappointed about for my for my players, for the country because we can do it can do it.”

Despite the draw, Chelle remains optimistic about his team’s chances of qualifying for the next round. “I don’t know the other game, I think we can, we can go, we can go looking for the second place,” he said. “The game like that is crazy.” The result means 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 the Benin Republic in Abidjan, which took them to 13 points.