World Cup Qualifiers: Zimbabwe and Benin Republic Draw to Pile Pressure on Nigeria
Nigeria’s Super Eagles are now under serious pressure after Group C rivals Zimbabwe and Benin Republic played out a 2-2 draw in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
The match took place on Thursday, 20 March 2025, at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. It was an exciting game that saw Zimbabwe fight back from two goals down to earn a point.
Benin Republic started the game strongly and took the lead in the 34th minute. Striker Steve Mounié scored after a defensive mistake by Zimbabwe’s Warriors. Just one minute later, Benin doubled their lead when midfielder Doukou Dodo fired in a powerful long-range shot to make it 2-0.
Despite being two goals behind, Zimbabwe did not give up. Midfielder Marshall Munetsi pulled one back in the 44th minute to give his team hope before half-time.
Zimbabwe continued to push after the break, and their efforts paid off in the 59th minute. Veteran forward Knowledge Musona finished off a quick counterattack to level the score at 2-2.
Both teams had chances to win the game, but no more goals were scored. The match ended in a draw.
With this result, Benin Republic now sit top of Group C. Zimbabwe’s comeback has added more pressure on Nigeria’s Super Eagles, who need a win in their next game against Rwanda to stay in the race for World Cup qualification.
The Super Eagles will face Rwanda’s Amavubi on Friday, 21 March 2025, at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali. Kick-off is at 5:00 pm Nigerian time.
