Nigeria Super Eagles World Cup dreams took a devastating hit as Zimbabwe snatched a dramatic 1-1 draw in the dying moments of their 2026 World Cup qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Akwa Ibom.
Victor Osimhen looked to have secured victory for the Super Eagles with a brilliant header in the 74th minute, but a shocking last-minute strike from Tawanda Chirewa in the 90th minute crushed Nigerian hopes and left fans in disbelief.
Missed Chances Haunt Super Eagles
Coming off a crucial 2-0 win against Rwanda, Nigeria aimed to build momentum, dominating the early exchanges and creating multiple chances
However, wastefulness in front of goal proved costly.
Samuel Chukwueze missed a glorious opportunity after been set up from Moses Simon cut back inside the box.
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Alex Iwobi missed a sitter in the first half after being perfectly set up inside the box, much to the frustration of fans.
Despite their early dominance, the Super Eagles struggled to break down Zimbabwe’s resilient defense.
It took a moment of brilliance for Nigeria to finally break through—Ola Aina whipped in a perfect low cross, and Osimhen made no mistake, heading home in the 74th minute to send the stadium into a frenzy.
But just when it seemed like the Super Eagles had secured three vital points, disaster struck.
Tawanda Chirewa SILENCES the Godswill Akpabio International stadium with a late goal to snatch a point for the Warriors in Uyo.#Zimbabwe #WCQ2026 #WCQ #WWFC #HTAFC #NGAZIM #SoarSuperEagles #Zimfootball
— Zimbabwe Football ⚽️ 🇿🇼 (@zim_football) March 25, 2025
A lapse in concentration at the back allowed Zimbabwe a golden chance, and Chirewa pounced, beating Stanley Nwabali at his near post to silence the Nigerian crowd.
Before Zimbabwe’s equalizer, Wilfred Ndidi also had a golden opportunity to seal the win for Nigeria late in the second half, but the Leicester City midfielder fluffed his shot when through on goal.
Those missed chances came back to haunt the Super Eagles.
Nigeria’s Qualification Hopes in Jeopardy
With this result, Nigeria now sits fourth in Group C with seven points after six matches, trailing behind South Africa and Rwanda.
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South Africa strengthened their grip on the top spot with 13 points after a commanding 2-0 victory over Benin in Ivory Coast.
Meanwhile, Rwanda moved up to second place with eight points following their 0-0 draw against Lesotho in Kigali.
