AFTER A DRAW, SOUTH AFRICA DASHES THE EAGLES’ ASPIRATIONS OF WINNING THE WORLD CUP

The South Africans were hoping for a win to maintain their healthy points advantage against the chasing pack in Group C, while the Super Eagles needed to win all three points to revive their waning hopes of making it to the North American championship game next summer.

Following his absence from the narrow 1-0 victory over Rwanda in Uyo last weekend, head coach Eric Chelle moved captain Williams Troost-Ekong back into the center of defense.

Following a 1-1 draw with South Africa, the leaders of their group, at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, Nigeria’s prospects of qualifying for a seventh FIFA World Cup competition are in ruins.

Following his absence from the narrow 1-0 victory over Rwanda in Uyo last weekend, head coach Eric Chelle moved captain Williams Troost-Ekong back into the center of defense.

Troost-Ekong and the ineffectual Cyriel Dessers were replaced by Bruno Onyemaechi and Tolu Arokodare before the second period resumed. Compared to the first half, the Eagles saw the ball far more, but they were unable to generate any clear scoring opportunities.
The three-time African champions were not inspired to find the winner, not even by the arrival of Chrisantus Uche and Samuel Chukwueze. Rather, Wilfred Ndidi, a seasoned midfielder, was substituted out following a knock.

At Bloemfontein’s Free State Stadium, it ended with both teams splitting the winnings. In the previous rounds of the qualifying series, the two nations had drew the rematch at Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.

With eight games played, South Africa now leads Nigeria by six points with 17 points, while Nigeria has 11 points from the same amount of games.

Nigeria must place in the top two in Group C to have a chance of qualifying. Eric Chelle’s team has to defeat Lesotho and Benin Republic in their remaining games and hope that other teams in the group drop points in order to qualify for the World Cup.