By Dianabasi Effiong
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 equaliser 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.
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.
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 September and October.
Usual suspect Victor 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 defense.
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 defense, with Simon Moses always in good flow.
However, 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.
FIFA World Cup Qualifiers (Africa):
Nine group winners in Africa will qualify automatically for the World Cup to be staged in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in 2026.
There could be a 10th qualifier if the winners of an African mini-tournament involving the four best-ranked runners-up finish among the top two in inter-continental play-offs.