Nigeria’s national team coach, Finidi George, expressed his disappointment following their 1-1 draw against Bafana Bafana in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Friday.

This result sees the Super Eagles drop to fifth place in Group C with only three points from three matches, all coming from draws. Bafana Bafana, despite the draw, also dropped two positions to fourth with four points.

Lesotho currently leads the group with a surprising five points after defeating Zimbabwe 2-0, followed by Rwanda in second and Benin in third. Zimbabwe sits at the bottom with just two points.

Nigeria conceded the first goal through a stunning strike from Themba Zwane in the first half but responded well in the second, equalizing shortly after the restart.

“While the players showed better fight in the second half,” George acknowledged after the match, “a draw isn’t the outcome we desired. We’ll regroup, analyze our performance, and focus on securing a win in the next game.”

Nigeria’s next challenge comes on Monday, with a tricky away fixture against Benin in Abidjan. Gernot Rohr’s team is unable to host matches at home due to CAF regulations regarding stadium suitability, a situation faced by 17 other African nations in these qualifiers.

“This is a crucial match for Nigeria’s position in the group,” George emphasized. “As we all know, there are three possible outcomes in football: win, draw, or lose. We’ll be striving for the first option.”