Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has praised two of his players after Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

The match took place at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. The first half ended without any goals, as both teams struggled to score.

Victor Osimhen finally broke the deadlock in the 74th minute with a well-placed header, giving Nigeria the lead. However, Zimbabwe responded with a late goal from Tawanda Chirewa, leveling the game before the final whistle.

After the match, Chelle highlighted the performances of Ola Aina and Bright Osayi-Samuel. He noted that Aina played well both on the right and left side, while Osayi-Samuel also put in a strong performance.

“It was tough at the end, especially in the final minutes, but we managed to get a draw,” Chelle said.

With this result, Nigeria now has seven points and sits in fourth place in Group C of the qualifiers. The team will need to improve in the upcoming matches to boost their chances of qualifying for the World Cup.