Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has described Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Tuesday as a positive outcome, though he admitted the team left Bloemfontein slightly disappointed.
The encounter at the Free State Stadium saw William Troost-Ekong’s own goal put the Bafana Bafana in front in the 22nd minute, before Calvin Bassey restored parity for Nigeria just before the half-time break.
Both sides pressed for a winner in the second half, but neither could find the cutting edge needed to secure all three points.
Reflecting on the game, Chelle told reporters:
“At the beginning in the second half we put a lot of pressure on South Africa but missing something maybe the last technical skills, maybe the last pass.
“So the draw with a good result, to get a draw in South Africa, it’s a good result but for us we wanted to win, so we are a little disappointed but this is football.”
The result leaves Nigeria on 11 points with two matches left to play. Group rivals South Africa and Benin Republic occupy the top two spots with 17 and 16 points, respectively, keeping Nigeria’s qualification hopes in a precarious position.
