Nigeria vs Zimbabwe

Nigeria will be eager to continue their resurgence under Eric Chelle as they push to revive their 2026 World Cup qualification hopes when they host Zimbabwe at Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Tuesday.

The Malian-born coach made a dream start to his tenure as Super Eagles manager last Friday, leading them to an impressive 2-0 triumph over Rwanda in Kigali.

Tasked with turning around Nigeria’s struggling qualifying campaign, Chelle wasted no time in making an impact, securing the team’s first victory in the qualifiers after enduring four consecutive matches without a win.

The three-time AFCON champions had previously managed just three draws in those outings, with frustration peaking after a shock 2-1 defeat to Benin in June 2024. That loss ultimately led to the resignation of former coach Finidi George, who stepped down following criticism over the team's form and an alleged fallout with the Nigerian Football Federation.

Adding to the turmoil was the controversy surrounding Victor Osimhen, who had missed all previous qualifiers and openly voiced his displeasure over a reported remark by Finidi questioning his commitment.

However, Osimhen returned to action in style last Friday, scoring twice to lift Nigeria to fourth place in Group C. With momentum on their side, the Super Eagles now set their sights on another crucial win against Zimbabwe.

Sitting on six points—two behind second-placed Benin Republic and four adrift of group leaders South Africa—Nigeria cannot afford any more setbacks, making Tuesday’s fixture a must-win as they strengthen their bid for a World Cup berth.

Historically, Nigeria holds the upper hand in World Cup qualifier meetings against Zimbabwe, winning two of their previous three encounters. However, their most recent clash ended in a 1-1 draw during the reverse fixture of this campaign.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe enters this contest with renewed confidence after staging an impressive comeback last Thursday, overturning a two-goal deficit to secure a 2-2 draw against Benin, thanks to goals from Marshall Munetsi and Knowledge Musona.

Despite their fighting spirit, Michael Nees's squad remains at the bottom of the standings, still without a win this season. Their three draws have earned them just three points so far.

The Warriors' biggest issue has been their shaky defense, which has conceded a tournament-high eight goals. Their attack hasn’t fared much better, scoring only four times.

Their defensive woes will face a tough challenge against Nigeria, who boast one of Africa’s most dangerous strike partnerships—Ademola Lookman, the current African Best Player, and the prolific Victor Osimhen, who won the award the previous year.

Zimbabwe’s recent form offers little optimism, with no wins in their last five matches (two draws, three losses). If they hope to keep their 2026 World Cup dreams alive, they must quickly turn things around.