Nigeria’s bid for a place at the 2026 World Cup suffered another setback as they were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against group leaders South Africa on Tuesday.
The result leaves the Super Eagles facing a difficult path to automatic qualification.
Despite flashes of promise, Nigeria have now drawn five of their eight qualifying fixtures, with their only victory coming against Rwanda. Their last World Cup appearance was in Russia in 2018, and they now run the risk of missing out entirely — even on the play-offs.
South Africa, meanwhile, continue to strengthen their position at the top of the group and look well on course to return to the World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010.
The match turned dramatic when Nigeria fell behind after former Watford defender William Troost-Ekong inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net. Relief came before half-time, however, when Fulham’s Calvin Bassey grabbed his first international goal to restore parity.
With just two games left, Nigeria trail South Africa by six points.
Their only remaining hope may lie in squeezing into the African play-offs as one of the four best second-placed sides, with a chance of reaching an intercontinental qualifier.
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