Nigeria Super Eagles and head coach Eric Chelle. Photo Credit X
As Nigeria prepare to take on Zimbabwe in Uyo on Tuesday, Super Eagles fans will have more than one eye on another crucial fixture in Group C — Benin vs South Africa.
On paper, it’s just another World Cup qualifier, but for Nigeria, this match could shape their entire qualification campaign.
After a shaky start to their qualifiers, the Super Eagles finally picked up their first win, beating Rwanda 2-0 on Friday.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s 2-0 victory over Lesotho and Benin’s 2-2 draw with Zimbabwe dramatically changed the dynamics of the group. South Africa now sit on top with 10 points, Benin are second with eight, Rwanda trail with seven, while Nigeria, climbing from near the bottom, now have six.
With only the group winners earning an automatic ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, every game matters. And while Nigeria will want a victory against Zimbabwe, they also need the right result in Benin vs South Africa.
So, who should Nigeria be rooting for?
From a Nigerian perspective, the preferred outcome is simple: a Benin victory. Why? Because that would throw the group wide open and give Nigeria a much-needed lifeline.
If Benin beat South Africa, the Cheetahs will jump to the top of Group C with 11 points, leaving South Africa stuck on 10. That result, coupled with a Nigerian win against Zimbabwe, would close the gap between the Super Eagles and South Africa to just one point.
More importantly, Benin would still have to come to Uyo to face Nigeria — giving the Super Eagles a direct opportunity to take points off them later in the campaign.
On the other hand, if South Africa win, they will move to 13 points—creating a worrying seven-point gap between them and Nigeria. That would mean even if Nigeria win against Zimbabwe, they would still be playing catch-up and would almost certainly need to beat South Africa away in September, a daunting prospect.
A draw between Benin and South Africa isn’t the worst outcome, but it still doesn’t help Nigeria much. While it would keep Benin within reach, it would also mean South Africa remain well ahead of Nigeria in the standings.
Bafana Bafana have already played their away game in Nigeria, securing a vital 1-1 draw in Uyo last June. That result means they now have the luxury of hosting Nigeria in South Africa in September — a match that could be the group’s defining fixture.
For Nigeria, that game in South Africa could decide whether they make it to the World Cup or fall into the lottery of second-place playoff complications.
But to make that game count, Nigeria must first ensure they are not too far behind South Africa in the standings. That’s why Tuesday’s Benin vs South Africa match is so critical.
Even Gernot Rohr, Benin’s head coach and former Super Eagles boss, seems aware of this. Speaking ahead of the game, he acknowledged that Nigeria would prefer his side to win.
“I really think we have to beat South Africa because every team in the group has to beat the other team,” Rohr said, as per Snl24.
“Nigeria will definitely go all out to win against Zimbabwe. My former (Super Eagles) players will want me to beat South Africa, and it’s the same for all teams playing on Tuesday.”
If Rohr can lead Benin to a victory, Nigeria will be in a far better position heading into the second half of the qualifiers.
While Benin vs South Africa is a key factor, Nigeria must first take care of their own match against Zimbabwe in Uyo.
Victor Osimhen, fresh from his brace against Rwanda, has already declared the remaining qualifiers as “wars” that Nigeria must win.
On paper, Nigeria are the clear favourites. The Super Eagles have never lost to Zimbabwe in a competitive fixture, winning four and drawing two of their six previous meetings. However, they cannot afford to underestimate the Warriors, who fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Benin last week.
Eric Chelle, Nigeria’s new coach, will be expected to stick with his successful 4-4-2 diamond system, with Osimhen leading the attack alongside Ademola Lookman. With Zimbabwe’s defence conceding the most goals in the group, Nigeria must be ruthless and get the job done.
Tuesday is shaping up to be a pivotal day in Group C. Nigeria must win against Zimbabwe, but just as crucially, they need Benin to take down South Africa.
If Rohr’s men can pull off a victory, the Super Eagles will be right back in the mix. If South Africa win, Nigeria’s path to the World Cup becomes significantly more difficult.
So, for Nigerian fans, there’s only one prayer point for Tuesday: a Benin victory.
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