Close Menu
    Trending
    Subscribe
    Sunday, August 2

    Nigeria’s World Cup Hopes End with 1-1 Draw in South Africa

    Julius AlagbeBy Updated: Sport No Comments2 Mins Read
    Nigeria’s World Cup Hopes End with 1-1 Draw in South Africa

    Nigeria’s World Cup Hopes End with 1-1 Draw in South Africa

    Nigeria’s Super Eagles crashed out of the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a 1-1 draw with South Africa on Tuesday.

    The Group C Matchday 8 fixture was played at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein. Nigeria needed an outright win to stay in contention for a World Cup spot. They had earlier defeated Rwanda 1-0 on Matchday 7 in Uyo, but still sat fourth on the six-team table with 11 points.

    South Africa led the group with 14 points and were looking to widen the gap. The hosts opened the scoring in the 25th minute through an own goal by Nigeria’s captain, William Troost-Ekong.

    The defender deflected the ball into his own net following a defensive mix-up. Nigeria equalised in the 44th minute through Calvin Bassey. The Fulham defender rose highest to head home from a corner kick.

    Both teams pushed for a winner in the second half but failed to break the deadlock. Goalkeepers on both sides made crucial saves to keep the score level. The result left Nigeria on 11 points with only two matches remaining.

    Their hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup are now effectively over. The Super Eagles will play their final group matches against Lesotho and Benin Republic on Oct. 6 and Oct. 13 respectively.

    Both fixtures are now dead rubbers. # Nigeria’s World Cup Hopes End with 1-1 Draw in South Africa AI Adoption by Nigerian Firms Hits 93% — Zoho

    Share.

    Julius Alagbe is a senior financial journalist and Editor at MarketForces Africa with nearly two decades of experience in finance, accounting, and economics reporting.He is one of Nigeria's most prolific financial market reporters, covering capital markets, monetary policy, corporate earnings, banking, telecoms, and macroeconomic developments across Africa.Julius has built a strong footprint reporting on Nigeria's leading corporates and financial services sector, including coverage of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Central Bank of Nigeria monetary operations, MTN Nigeria, GTCO, and major investment banking transactions.He regularly monitors the CBN’s open market operations, interbank FX markets, and equity market movements, providing readers with real-time intelligence on Nigeria’s financial landscape.His reporting draws on direct access to institutional research from firms including Moody’s Ratings, CardinalStone Securities, Fitch, and other leading African investment houses.Julius brings analytical depth and editorial rigour to every story, making complex financial data accessible to professionals, investors, and policymakers across Africa.Julius Alagbe is based in Lagos, Nigeria.

    Keep Reading

    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    News

    Company

    Services

    © 2026 MarketForces Africa. All rights reserved.