By Wale Mustapha
The Zimbabwe national football team has arrived in Nigeria, landing in Lagos on Saturday afternoon, ahead of their crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against the Super Eagles on Tuesday.
The Warriors, who touched down at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, will connect to another flight to Uyo, the venue for the highly anticipated Matchday Five clash.
Zimbabwe comes into the encounter with their World Cup hopes hanging by a thread after a frustrating 2-2 draw against Benin Republic on Thursday.
They will face a tough challenge against a Super Eagles side buoyed by a commanding 2-0 win over Rwanda in Kigali, which saw them move into fourth place in the qualifiers with six points.
With three points, Zimbabwe is desperate for a win to keep their qualification dreams alive.
However, they will be up against a resurgent Nigerian team, boosted by the return of key players, including captain William Troost-Ekong, Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali—absentees in their previous encounter, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
A win for Nigeria on Tuesday is crucial, as it would propel them into the top three, maintaining their push for a place at the 2026 World Cup with four games remaining in the qualifiers.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
