By Wale Mustapha
Zimbabwe’s head coach, Michael Nees, is confident his team can pull off an upset when they face Nigeria’s Super Eagles in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match later this month.
The Super Eagles will host Zimbabwe’s Warriors in the Matchday Five encounter at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on March 26.
The Super Eagles are currently in a tight spot, sitting third in Group C with six points from four matches, while Zimbabwe are at the bottom with just two points.
Both teams are desperate for a positive result to revive their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup, making the clash all the more significant.
Despite the odds, Nees believes his side can achieve a famous victory against the Super Eagles.
“Like us, Nigeria has their backs against the wall. They are like wounded lions, eager to turn the page after a poor start to the qualifiers,” Nees said.
“It will be an exciting game, and Nigeria are beatable in Uyo,” he added.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
