Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup don suffer serious blow after di Super Eagles play 1-1 draw with South Africa’s Bafana Bafana for Bloemfontein on Tuesday night. Di match, wey many Nigerians bin hope say go bring three points, end in stalemate wey leave Nigeria six points behind di group leaders with only two games left to play.

Di game start with wahala as Super Eagles defender Ola Aina waka comot early due to injury. South Africa take advantage and score first through an own goal by Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong, wey mistakenly knock Mohau Nkota’s cross into him own net. Di goal shake Nigeria small, but dem bounce back before halftime as Calvin Bassey nod in equalizer from Tom Dele-Bashiru’s corner kick.

Second half na Nigeria show, as dem press hard with chances from Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, and substitute Tolu Arokodare. But despite di pressure, di winning goal no gree come. South Africa hold tight and frustrate every attempt wey Nigeria make to grab full points. Di draw mean Nigeria now dey third for Group C with 11 points, while South Africa dey top with 17 points.

Coach Eric Chelle talk after di match say even though draw for away match no bad, di team dey disappointed because dem need win badly to keep qualification hope alive. He praise di players for their effort and say dem go still fight for di remaining two matches against Lesotho and Benin Republic. But analysts dey fear say Nigeria fit miss World Cup for second time in a row after missing 2022 edition.

As fans dey react with mixed feelings, di Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) never issue official statement yet. But many Nigerians dey call for urgent review of tactics and better preparation ahead of di final qualifiers. With only top team from di group qualifying automatically, di Super Eagles now dey face uphill battle wey require miracle to reach 2026 World Cup.