The Super Eagles were held to a 1-1 draw by bitter rivals South Africa on Friday in the third round of qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, as reported by Saturday PUNCH.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru scored his first goal for Nigeria in the 46th minute to secure the draw after Themba Zwane had put South Africa ahead in the 31st minute. The result leaves Nigeria winless in three games and fifth in Group C with three points, with seven matches left to play.
The match started promisingly for Nigeria, with Ademola Lookman missing a chance early on. South Africa responded quickly, with goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali making a crucial save in the 10th minute. Bafana Bafana continued to press, with Percy Tau hitting the bar from a free-kick in the 16th minute.
South Africa’s pressure paid off in the 31st minute when Zwane skillfully navigated through the Nigerian defense to score. The visitors almost doubled their lead five minutes later, but Benjamin Tanimu cleared a goal-bound effort from Tau.
Nigeria had their moments, with Semi Ajayi and Paul Onuachu testing the South African goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams. South Africa went into the break with a 1-0 lead, with a minute’s silence held for the late Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi.
After the break, Dele-Bashiru equalized for Nigeria off an Alex Iwobi assist, sending the Uyo crowd into celebration. The midfielder was denied a penalty shortly after, as the referee ignored appeals from the home crowd.
Both teams had chances to win the game, with Samuel Chukwueze hitting the post in the 76th minute. Nigeria made late substitutions, bringing on Raphael Onyedika and Terem Moffi, but couldn’t find the winning goal. Williams made several crucial saves in added time to keep the scores level.
The Super Eagles will now travel to Abidjan to face third-placed Benin on Monday. The group winners will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, while the four best-ranked runners-up will enter play-offs for a chance to compete in an inter-continental tournament.
