2026 World Cup qualifying: Without Osimhen, Nigeria stymied by South Africa

Nigeria and South Africa played out a 1-1 draw on Tuesday, on Matchday 8 of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The result further diminishes the Super Eagles’ chances of qualification.

Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup are slipping further away. Without Victor Osimhen, injured this weekend, the Super Eagles were held to a 1-1 draw by South Africa on Tuesday in Bloemfontein, a result that seriously jeopardizes their chances of qualification.

Buoyed by their narrow 1-0 win over Rwanda on the previous matchday, Eric Chelle’s men knew that a win over Bafana Bafana was essential to stay in the race. But their ambitions were quickly thwarted: in the first half, William Troost-Ekong scored an own goal, giving the South Africans the lead.

Nigeria, however, responded before the break, with Calvin Bassey equalizing with a powerful header. The second half did not produce a winner, and the two teams finished level.

With this draw, South Africa remains top of the group with 17 points, six more than Nigeria, with two matchdays left. Benin, who face Lesotho, could take advantage of this situation to shake up the qualification race.