Following a 1-1 draw with Nigeria during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Huye Stadium on Sunday, Zimbabwe coach Baltemar Brito says his side should have won the game against the star-studded Super Eagles.
Jose Peseiro’s men put up an underwhelming performance as they laboured to a 1-1 draw against the Warriors in the second game of the qualifiers.
The draw means the Eagles have just two points from a possible six points having drawn their first game against a lowly-ranked Lesotho side at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Thursday.
The Eagles were at the back foot against Zimbabwe and it was no surprise when Walter Musona’s 35-yard free-kick beat Francis Uzoho to hand the Warriors the lead in the 26th minute.
The goal gave Brito’s side the needed confidence as they contained the Eagles threat limiting them to just two shots in the first 45 minutes.
Kelechi Iheanacho drew level for Nigeria in the 67th minute as both sides settled for a draw in Rwanda.
Nonetheless, Brito bragged that his side came into the encounter with the intention of winning the game.
“They (Nigeria) are good; of course, we started the game to win. We expected to win the game. Unfortunately, we drew, but we had ambitions of winning the game,” Brito said after the game.
“The result of the game comes from the atmosphere that we’ve had from this camping. Since day one, we have felt positive vibes between the technical staff and the players.
“The players came here with open hearts to represent the country. They fought too much today, and this good performance is just about them.”
Nigeria currently sit second on the log with two points, one point behind South Africa, who face Rwanda in their second game on Tuesday.
Zimbabwe are third on the table, the same points as Nigeria.
The 2026 World Cup qualifiers resume in June 2024 with Nigeria hosting the Bafana Bafana, current leaders of Group C, before travelling to an away game against Benin Republic.
