By Frank Ulom
LAGOS (CONVERSEER) – Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign took a significant hit on Tuesday after the Super Eagles were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw against South Africa, leaving fans furious and drawing unfavourable comparisons to Manchester United’s recent struggles.
The result means Nigeria have only one win from eight matches and now sit six points behind South Africa with two games remaining in the group. With just a maximum of 17 points still attainable, the Super Eagles’ chances of direct qualification look slim, and even a play-off spot now appears increasingly unlikely.
Costly mistakes and slim recovery
The contest began poorly for Nigeria when former Watford defender William Troost-Ekong diverted the ball into his own net to hand South Africa an early lead. Fulham’s Calvin Bassey responded with his first international goal to level the score, but the Eagles failed to build on the momentum, leaving both sides sharing the spoils.
The qualification format allows only group winners to progress automatically, with four of the best runners-up entering a play-off for a place in the intercontinental qualifier. Nigeria’s underwhelming run leaves them dependent on other results.
Fans vent anger
The draw ignited a wave of criticism from Nigerian fans on social media, many questioning the quality and commitment of the team.
@_ezeokolorie fumed: “48 team World Cup and Nigeria couldn’t qualify. Embarrassing. I’M DONE.”
@iiamemry compared the Eagles’ struggles to Manchester United’s: “Nigeria out here trynna qualify to the World Cup like Manchester United was tryna qualify for Champions League last season lol.”
@EbongDi questioned the line-up: “If this is the best 11 players Nigeria can assemble, then we don’t deserve to represent Africa at any World Cup.”
Others drew parallels between club and country heartbreak. @Forlartimate wrote: “Supporting Man Utd & Nigeria has affected my mental health a lot #MUFC.”
@prophetswitch lamented the poor display: “Why is Nigeria playing like amateurs? These are supposed to be professional footballers in top leagues across the world. What kind of embarrassing display is that, for crying out loud?”
Parallels with Manchester United
The comparisons to Manchester United added insult to injury. The English side have endured a difficult start to the 2025–26 season, managing only one Premier League win in three matches, alongside a shock Carabao Cup elimination at the hands of League Two club Grimsby Town.
About the qualification format
For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Africa’s qualifiers are structured so that the winners of each group qualify directly for the tournament. In addition, the four best second-placed teams across all groups enter a continental play-off, with the winner earning a spot in the intercontinental play-off for one last chance to reach the finals.
Nigeria’s position — with only one victory so far — means they must win their remaining matches against Lesotho and Benin and hope results in other groups go in their favour to even be considered for the play-off round.
What next for Nigeria
Nigeria’s fate now hinges on their remaining fixtures in October. Victory in both games is essential, but even that may not be enough without favourable results elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Manchester United’s own test comes this weekend with a derby against Manchester City, a match expected to further expose the team’s vulnerabilities under manager Rúben Amorim.
