“What we did wrong against Zimbabwe” – Nigeria coach Chelle reflects on draw

By Wale Mustapha

Nigeria’s head coach, Eric Chelle, has admitted that his side’s inability to control key moments in the game led to their disappointing 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe on Tuesday in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Victor Osimhen put Nigeria ahead in the 74th minute, but a late equalizer from Chawanda Chirewa in stoppage time cost the Super Eagles two valuable points.

The draw dampened Nigeria’s hopes of securing a place in next year’s World Cup and Chelle identified lapses in concentration and fatigue as key factors that contributed to the draw.

“The players might have been a little tired, and this led to a lapse in concentration, which cost us the goal,” he explained to media.

“It’s hard for me to analyze the game fully right now because, honestly, I feel we deserved to win.

“We created chances, we were aggressive, and we played well in the first half. But we need to learn how to manage the game better when we’re ahead.”

Currently, the Super Eagles sit in fifth place in Group C with seven points, six points behind leaders South Africa.