Nigeria’s quest to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA suffered a major setback as they were held to two disappointing draws by Lesotho and Zimbabwe in their Group C matches.
The Super Eagles, who are ranked 34th in the world by FIFA, were expected to cruise past their lowly-ranked opponents, but they failed to show their superiority and had to settle for two points from their opening two games.
Nigeria started their campaign with a shock 1-1 draw at home to Lesotho, who are ranked 153rd in the world by FIFA, on November 15, 2023. The hosts took the lead in the 18th minute through Victor Osimhen, who scored his 11th goal for his country with a header from a cross by Samuel Chukwueze. However, Lesotho stunned the crowd at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos when they equalized in the 72nd minute through Thabo Seakhoa, who scored his first international goal with a low shot from outside the box.
Nigeria hoped to bounce back from that result when they faced Zimbabwe, who are ranked 125th in the world by FIFA, on November 19, 2023. The Super Eagles travelled to Butare, Rwanda, where the game was played due to the unavailability of a suitable venue in Zimbabwe. Nigeria dominated the game and created several chances, but they were unable to break down the resilient defence of the Warriors, who came to the game with a defensive mindset. The game ended in a goalless draw, leaving Nigeria with two points from two games.
The results have left Nigeria in a precarious position in their group, as they trail the leaders, South Africa, by four points. South Africa have won both of their games, beating Zimbabwe 2-0 and Rwanda 3-1. Nigeria will have to improve their performance and results in their remaining eight games if they want to secure their spot in the final round of the African qualifiers, where the top team from each of the 10 groups will advance.
The Super Eagles have featured in six of the past seven World Cup finals, and they will not want to miss out on the 2026 edition, the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup will take place across Canada, Mexico, and the USA, including at Olympic venues. Nigeria have some of the best players in Africa, such as Leicester City duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi, Watford pair of Oghenekaro Etebo and Wilfred Troost-Ekong, as well as Everton’s Alex Iwobi and Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka. However, they will need to show more cohesion, creativity and clinical finishing in their upcoming games to overcome their opponents.
Nigeria will face South Africa in their next game on March 17, 2024, in what could be a decisive clash for the group. The game will be played at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, where Nigeria have never won before. The Super Eagles will then host Rwanda on March 21, 2024, at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, where they will hope to get their first win of the campaign.
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