“They should forget it” — Nigeria captain urges Zimbabwe to harbor no victory hopes

By Monsurah Olatunji

Ahead of Nigeria’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe on Tuesday, Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has sent a bold message to the Warriors: forget any hopes of securing a victory in Uyo.

Troost-Ekong’s comments come after Nigeria’s 2-0 win over Rwanda at the Amahoro Stadium, which reignited their World Cup qualification aspirations.

The victory lifted the Super Eagles to fourth place in Group C with six points—one behind Rwanda and four adrift of group leaders South Africa.

In contrast, Zimbabwe sits at the bottom of the group with just three points from five matches, following a frustrating 2-2 draw against Benin Republic.

Speaking to the media ahead of the highly anticipated clash at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Troost-Ekong dismissed concerns about being under pressure to build on their momentum.

“We read somewhere that the Zimbabweans are being motivated to come to Uyo and get a result. They should forget it,” Troost-Ekong said confidently, according to NFF media.

“We are hugely motivated by the ambition to play at the FIFA World Cup. Apart from myself, Alex (Iwobi), and perhaps a couple of others, who were part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, this generation is hungry to play at the highest level. We want to make Nigeria proud and at the same time, do ourselves proud.”

 The match on March 25 is crucial for both teams, but with the Super Eagles riding high on confidence, they are determined to assert their dominance and continue their push for qualification.