By Dayo Awoniyi
Zimbabwe’s head coach, Michael Nees, has delivered a blunt and scathing assessment of Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, stating that their hopes are all but extinguished following a 1-1 draw in their World Cup qualifier match on Tuesday.
The draw marked the second consecutive stalemate between the two teams, with the Warriors having held the Super Eagles to a similar result earlier in the campaign.
In his post-match comments, Nees wasted no time in diminishing Nigeria’s qualification prospects, pointing to their current standing in Group C and their points tally.
“To qualify for the World Cup, you need to play strategically, use your energy wisely, create chances, and, most importantly, convert them,” Nees remarked.
He then took a swipe at the Super Eagles, declaring, “At the moment, Nigeria is no better than us. And as it stands, World Cup qualification is over for both Nigeria and us.”
The Super Eagles now find themselves in fourth place in Group C with seven points from six matches, while Zimbabwe is languishing in fifth with four points.
South Africa leads the group with 13 points, closely followed by Rwanda and Benin Republic, each on eight points.
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.
