Gospel singer Nathaniel Bassey has joined the chorus of critics expressing frustration over the Super Eagles’ disappointing 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe in their World Cup qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Tuesday.
The match saw Nigeria take the lead in the 75th minute, thanks to a powerful header from Victor Osimhen. However, the team’s hopes of securing three points were dashed in the final moments of the match when Zimbabwe’s Tawanda Chirewa netted an equalizer in the 90th minute, leaving the Super Eagles with a single point in a match they had hoped to win.
Bassey, known for his outspoken views, took to social media to express his disappointment, saying, “I’ve always said this, one of our problems is managing small success. You score just one goal, all of a sudden you think you have qualified for the World Cup.”
He continued, “The Zimbabweans practically strolled from the midfield into the net unchallenged while we watched. Na wa. Now they’ll start calculating maths.”
The gospel singer’s post sparked a wave of passionate reactions from Nigerian fans, many of whom were critical of the team’s performance. Kachi Onyedika didn’t hold back, saying, “I’m sorry but Nwabali utter dog sh*te. He can’t keep his focus for 90 minutes, gets too cocky and overconfident for no reason! Very heavy going down. He has so many flaws in his game but everyone’s overlooking it because of last AFCON.”
Daniel Regha was also critical, blaming both the players and coaching staff. He wrote, “Super Eagles coach is to blame as much as the players, the team lacks consistency and determination; This performance against Zimbabwe was embarrassing. The team needs to step it up, this is the World Cup for goodness sake.”
Meanwhile, influencer @_VALKlNG succinctly captured the uncertainty surrounding the team’s chances: “Omo shey Nigeria still fit qualify like this?”
Others took a more balanced approach, with British-Nigerian doctor @OurFavOnlineDoc offering a measured critique: “To be honest, that was a poor game. We should have won. We could have won. We didn’t look convincing at all. I genuinely hope we qualify for the World Cup. But we absolutely need to do a whole lot better. I still support Team Super Eagles.”
Social media user Abiola (@abdulhakeemyun6) expressed a sense of national frustration, lamenting, “A big shame, Nigeria supposed be Spain/Germany to all other African teams but chai.”
Some fans also analyzed tactical decisions made during the match. Solace Chukwu criticized the substitution of Victor Boniface, calling it a “blunder” on the part of coach Eric Chelle, and further noted that “Ekong really should have dealt with that (Zimbabwe’s) run to the goal.” Chukwu suggested that the defender, despite being a strong leader, may no longer be suited for a starting role in the team.
@Choji_ES highlighted the Super Eagles’ over-reliance on Osimhen, emphasizing the need for the team to diversify their attacking options if they are to succeed in their World Cup qualification campaign.
