Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle admitted his disappointment after Nigeria settled for a 1-1 draw by South Africa in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match, Tuesday, in Bloemfontein.
Bafana Bafana struck first in the 25th minute when Nigeria’s captain William Troost-Ekong inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, handing the hosts the advantage.
Nigeria clawed their way back just before half-time, with defender Calvin Bassey’s ‘Hand of God’ forcing the ball past goalkeeper Ronwen Williams in the 45th minute to level for the Super Eagles.
The second half saw both sides push for a winner in an intensity-filled contest.
Nigeria pressed forward, while South Africa threatened on the break, but the finishing touch was missing as the match ended all square.
Speaking after the game, Eric Chelle expressed disappointment with the outcome.
“It was a great game with lots of intensity and aggressivity. Because of the pitch, both teams tried to play well. Congrats to South Africa—they played a great game.
“We came determined to win, took risks, but conceded early. We fought back, but a draw is the result. It’s good here, but we wanted all three points,” the Super Eagles coach said in his post-match presser.
He also added that the team is looking forward to the remaining World Cup qualifiers in October.
“My players are professionals, and I know they will still want to win the remaining two games. A lot can happen over the next month. But before that, we will have to analyze our performance tonight, which will not be easy.”
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The result leaves Nigeria second in the group on 11 points from eight matches, while South Africa stay top with two games left to play.
On the brink of missing out on a second consecutive World Cup finals, Nigeria will decide their fate when they face Lesotho and Benin Republic in their final two qualifying games.
