November 19, (THEWILL) – In another disappointing outing by the Super Eagles, Nigeria were held to a 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match on Sunday. The game, held at Huye Stadium in Rwanda, saw Nigeria manager Jose Peseiro make several changes to the starting lineup from their previous match against Lesotho.
The first half saw little threat on goal for the Super Eagles, besides a free kick from Moses Simon that was easily dealt with. It was Zimbabwe, who looked more dangerous, especially on the counter attack. They were rewarded when Walter Musona scored from a well-taken free kick.
At the start of the second half, Peseiro brought on substitutes Bright Osayi-Samuel, Kelechi Iheanacho and Victor Boniface, replacing Ola Aina, Nathan Tella and Frank Onyeka. Shortly after, Nigeria had a chance to equalise but were denied by a goal-line clearance.
In the 67th minute the Super Eagles finally found the breakthrough, as Joe Aribo lofted a pass to Moses Simon who set up Iheanacho to score. This leveled the match at 1-1. Although the Super Eagles dominated possession late on, the visitors failed to create any clear chances. Zimbabwe were content to hold on for the draw.
The result leaves the teams tied on two points in World Cup qualifying Group C. The Super Eagles’ quality on paper has failed to translate into their displays in these qualifiers and it will be an uphill task when the qualifiers resume in June next year against group leaders South Africa.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
