{"id":3955,"date":"2025-03-26T15:47:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T12:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/?p=3955"},"modified":"2025-03-26T16:04:31","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T13:04:31","slug":"nigeria-held-to-a-1-1-draw-by-zimbabwe-in-caf-qualifiers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/nigeria-held-to-a-1-1-draw-by-zimbabwe-in-caf-qualifiers\/","title":{"rendered":"Nigeria Held to a 1-1 Draw by Zimbabwe in CAF Qualifiers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Nigeria\u2019s hopes of topping Group C in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/tag\/caf-qualifiers\/\">2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers<\/a> suffered a heavy blow. The Super Eagles were held to a 1-1 draw by Zimbabwe in a match full of drama at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fans were hopeful after Nigeria\u2019s last away win. Many expected the Super Eagles to grab another easy three points against Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe had previously drawn 2-2 with Benin. On paper, this looked like a winnable match for Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, things did not go according to plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Slow Start, Missed Chances<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>From the first whistle, both teams started with energy. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/tag\/nigeria\/\">Nigeria<\/a> looked the more dangerous side in the early minutes. In the 2nd minute, Iwobi passed to Simon, but the shot went straight to the Zimbabwe keeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lookman was active on the wings. In the 15th minute, he fired a shot that hit the crossbar. A minute later, Moses Simon also missed a great chance in the box. Despite all the pressure, Nigeria couldn\u2019t convert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zimbabwe too had their moments. Walter nearly scored in the 14th minute after catching Nigeria\u2019s defense off guard. His shot skimmed the top of the net.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By halftime, the score remained 0-0. Both teams created chances, but the finishing was poor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Osimhen\u2019s Goal Lifts Nigeria<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The second half brought more life into the game. Nigeria kept pushing, but Zimbabwe&#8217;s defense stayed tight. Chukwueze and Iwobi had good chances but couldn\u2019t deliver the final blow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Coach made changes. Arokodare came in for Chukwueze in the 58th minute. Moments later, Lookman tried again from a free kick, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/tag\/zimbabwe\/\">Zimbabwe<\/a> defended well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, in the 73rd minute, the breakthrough came. Arokodare passed to Aina, who returned the ball. Osimhen finished with class, giving Nigeria a 1-0 lead. The crowd at Uyo erupted with joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It felt like Nigeria had sealed the win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Late Heartbreak for the Super Eagles<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With the clock ticking, Nigeria looked to defend the lead. Zimbabwe kept pressing but couldn\u2019t find the equalizer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 76th minute, Zimbabwe almost scored. A fierce shot rattled the crossbar. That was a big warning sign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In stoppage time, disaster struck. In the 90th minute, Zimbabwe finally found the net. A late goal leveled the score at 1-1. Nigerian fans were left in shock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite a few late attempts, the Super Eagles couldn\u2019t grab the winner. The referee blew the final whistle. It was a disappointing end to what could\u2019ve been a big night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-29-683x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3956\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.6669921875;width:1068px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-29-683x1024.png 683w, https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-29-200x300.png 200w, https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-29-768x1152.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-29-150x225.png 150w, https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-29-300x450.png 300w, https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-29-696x1044.png 696w, https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-29.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What This Means for Nigeria<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With the draw, Nigeria now has seven points. That puts them in fourth place in Group C. South Africa, who won their game, now sit on top with 13 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s now an uphill battle for Nigeria. They must win their remaining matches to keep their World Cup dream alive. The team must also find better ways to finish their chances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The coaching staff will need to go back to the drawing board. Osimhen\u2019s form is still solid, but the team must improve overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Stay with Bangbet Nigeria for More<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It was a dramatic evening in Uyo. Nigeria gave it their all, but Zimbabwe refused to go down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As fans, we continue to hope for better days ahead. For now, we keep supporting our Super Eagles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For all the updates on Nigeria\u2019s World Cup journey and other exciting sports news, stay tuned to Bangbet News Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you&#8217;re feeling lucky, place your bets on Bangbet Nigeria. Whether it&#8217;s the CAF Qualifiers, EPL, or any global league, we&#8217;ve got you covered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We even give predictions on Bangbet News Nigeria to help you make smart bets. Don&#8217;t miss out. Bet smart. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng-m\/\">Bet with Bangbet Nigeria!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nigeria\u2019s hopes of topping Group C in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers suffered a heavy blow. The Super Eagles were held to a 1-1 draw by Zimbabwe in a match full of drama at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. Fans were hopeful after Nigeria\u2019s last away win. Many expected the Super Eagles to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3956,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[121,141],"class_list":{"0":"post-3955","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football-news","8":"tag-caf-qualifiers","9":"tag-zimbabwe"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3955"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3955\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3957,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3955\/revisions\/3957"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}