By Wale Mustapha
Zimbabwe captain, Marshal Munetsi, has credited his team’s determination and historical ambitions for their 1-1 draw against Nigeria in Tuesday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Uyo.
Chawanda Chirewa’s late goal for Zimbabwe canceled out Victor Osimhen’s 74th-minute strike, earning the Warriors a valuable point in the Matchday Six encounter.
Munetsi highlighted his team’s hunger to make history as a driving force behind their resilient performance. “Obviously, Nigeria is a much bigger country in terms of football, but Zimbabwe also wants to make history,” he said.
“Zimbabwe qualifying for the World Cup would probably be a more historical thing than Nigeria qualifying.”
The midfielder emphasized the significance of qualifying for Zimbabwe, adding, “All the guys want to do something historical and achieve something that has never been done by our country. This is something that gives us the energy to compete.”
The result leaves the Super Eagles in fourth place in Group C with seven points from six games, while Zimbabwe remains at the bottom with four points from the same number of matches.
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.
