Zimbabwe vs Nigeria | Super Eagles Performance Was Disappointing – Nollywood Actor, Reggie Roka
It’s been a disappointing start to a journey for the Super Eagles of Nigeria as they laboured to force another 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe at the Huye stadium, Butare, Rwanda.
The three-time African champions were held to a 1-1 draw by the Crocodiles of Lesotho last Thursday in the first game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mkwanazi stunned the home crowd at Uyo, when he gave Lesotho the lead 11 minutes into the 2nd half before Seni Ajayi restored parity eleven minutes later.
And that was how things ended at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.
A similar situation played out at Huye Stadium, Rwanda, on Sunday as Zimbabwe got the Super Eagles on the back foot for major parts of the second game which ended in another 1-1 draw.
The draw means the Eagles have just two points from a possible six points.
Peseiro made six changes from the side that drew to the Crocodiles with Nathan Tella making his debut for Nigeria while Ola Aina, Bruno Onyemaechi, Joe Aribo, Moses Simon, and Terem Moffi were all named in the Starting XI.
The changes didn’t do much to change the fortune of the team as the Eagles failed to return to winning ways.
Peseiro’s continuous faith in Francis Uzoho backfired after Walter Musona’s 35-yard free-kick beat the goalkeeper to hand the Warriors a lead in the 26th minute.
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The goal gave Baltemar Brito’s side the needed confidence as they contained the Eagles threat limiting them to just two shots in the first 45 minutes.
The three-time African champions thought they had won a penalty after Zimbabwean goalkeeper, Bernard Donovan, mishandled the ball in the box but the referee awarded an indirect freekick.
Iheanacho almost scored from that opportunity but the sea of yellow Zimbabwean jerseys stopped the ball from creeping into the net.
The Leicester City forward would not be denied his goal in the 67th minute in Butare.
Simon’s stout shielding of the ball and good decision in the box allowed Iheanacho to slam past the goalkeeper for Nigeria’s equalizer.
The Eagles couldn’t find the winning goal despite an additional nine minutes played after the regulation time as the Zimbabweans held their line very well to claim another point.
Reacting to the poor performances, CitySports caught up with a cross-section of Nigerians including Nollywood actor, Football players, and Coaches.
While Reggie Roka, a Nollywood actor, and a football lover expressed dissatisfaction with the Eagles’ performance, others view the performances from a different point of view.
Bearing his thoughts on the Super Eagles’ performances, Al-Bayanniy FC coach, Hakeem Olawale, told CitySports that foreign-based national team players must learn to play as a team rather than show off individual skills.
Another Coach who spoke with CitySports is Tbantin FC coach, who opined that the results, (though not what Nigerians desire at this point, having missed the last World Cup) might be a reflection of the Changes the Super Eagles head coach, José Peseiro, is trying out with the team.
Ifeanyi, the Empire FC captain, told CitySports that the Super Eagles are given their all but the results say otherwise. He asked Nigerians to be patient with the team.
Other Nigerians who spoke with CitySports on the Nigerian performance and the result include, Reggie Roka, the Nollywood actor, who is also a football lover.
He advised that invited players for major matches and tournaments should be 50:50 between the home-based players and the foreign-based players.
He argued that if Nigeria can’t secure the maximum points against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, then, there’s no point in qualifying for the World Cup.
A former Super Eagles forward, Daniel Amokachi had once accused the NFF of not recruiting the right coaches for the national team.
Another ex-Eagles forward, Sunday Oliseh, had hinted during the Qatar 2022 that it would be disastrous for Nigerian football if the country failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Zimbabwe vs Nigeria | Super Eagles Are A Disappointment – Nollywood Actor, Reggie Roka
After two draws against lowly rated teams in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, The King Of Boys Actor, Reggie Roka, has expressed dissatisfaction with the team’s performances tagging it ‘Disappointing’.
The Super Eagles had to come back from a goal down at the Godswill Akpabio stadium to force a draw against the Crocodiles of Lesotho in Uyo, with a similar result playing out at the Huye Stadium, Bature, in Rwanda last Sunday.
Reggie in an interview with CitySports advised that invited players for major matches and tournaments should be 50:50 between the home-based players and the foreign-based players.
He argued that if Nigeria can’t secure the maximum points against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, then, there’s no point in qualifying for the World Cup.
The poor performances have also solicited diverse opinions from many Nigerians including Football coaches and players as well as fans calling for the head of Jose Peseiro.