Nigeria’s Super Eagles have sunk further into trouble in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, falling five points behind Group C leaders Benin Republic following the Cheetahs' 2-2 draw with Zimbabwe on Thursday, Soccernet.ng reports.
Heading into matchday five, Group C was finely poised, with Rwanda, South Africa, and Benin level on seven points at the summit.
Lesotho sat fourth with four points, while Nigeria languished in fifth with just three, narrowly ahead of bottom-placed Zimbabwe on two points.
With Zimbabwe and Benin playing a day before Nigeria’s crunch tie against Rwanda, the Super Eagles risked dropping to the bottom of the group if Zimbabwe had secured victory.
M A T C H D A Y
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⚽️ Rwanda Nigeria
️ Friday, 21st March 2025
⏱️ 05:00 PM
️ Amahoro National Stadium, Kigali.#SuperEagles pic.twitter.com/F3uIr2v6dj
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However, a dramatic contest at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban — where Zimbabwe played their home fixture — ended in a 2-2 stalemate, sparing Nigeria from further humiliation but allowing Benin to seize control of the group.
Benin raced into a two-goal lead in the first half, courtesy of strikes from Steve Mounié and Dodo Dokou.
Zimbabwe, however, responded with resilience. Wolves midfielder Marshall Munetsi pulled one back just before the break, and returning captain Knowledge Musona levelled the score shortly after the restart.
The result propelled Benin to the top of the standings, while Rwanda and South Africa, who face Lesotho later on Friday, slipped to second.
Nigeria remain in fifth place, but the gap to the summit has now widened to five points — a concerning scenario for the three-time African champions.
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— Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) March 19, 2025
The Super Eagles now have a golden opportunity to claw back some ground when they take on Rwanda in Kigali on Friday.
A victory would reduce the gap to two points, but history is not in Nigeria’s favour. The Super Eagles have never beaten Rwanda away from home, managing only three draws in previous encounters. Worse still, they were stunned 2-1 by the Amavubi in Uyo during the last Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
With their World Cup hopes already hanging by a thread, anything less than a win in Kigali could leave Nigeria facing an uphill battle to reach the 2026 tournament.
