An own goal by Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong and an equalizer from Calvin Bassey saw Nigeria held to a 1-1 draw in a crucial 2026 World Cup qualifier against South Africa in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.
The Super Eagles’ failure to secure maximum points away to South Africa in Bloemfontein leaves Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup hopes hanging by a thread.
With two matches left to play in the group, Nigeria are 6 points behind South Africa who are topping Group C with 17 points, while the Super Eagles are on 11 points alongside Benin Republic who have a match at hand.
From the first whistle, South Africa came out with relentless pressure, eager to exploit the advantage of playing on home soil.
Nigeria responded in the 10th minute, earning a corner after Ademola Lookman sent in a pinpoint cross from the right. However, South Africa’s goalkeeper Foster was quick to react, clearing the threat with a well-timed header.
In the 25th minute, disaster struck for Nigeria as an unfortunate own goal from captain William Troost-Ekong handed South Africa the lead, putting the Bafana Bafana ahead.
Nigeria refused to be beaten and responded just before half-time. Calvin Bassey’s header, controversial yet powerful, flew into the net to level the score at 1-1, silencing the crowd.
At the break, Nigeria made two bold substitutions to ignite their attack. Arokodare replaced Dessers, and Onyemaechi came on for Troost-Ekong. It didn’t take long for Arokodare to make an impact, racing down the left wing, cutting inside with precision, and unleashing a shot that narrowly missed the target.
In the second half, Nigeria slowly began to seize control, their dominance growing despite South Africa’s unwavering resilience.
In the dying minutes, Nigeria threw everything forward, but the crucial second goal remained out of reach. The missed opportunity all but dashed their hopes of qualification.
Despite a late surge from Nigeria, the crucial second goal eluded them, leaving their qualification hopes hanging by a thread.
