Calvin Bassey scores as South Africa and Nigeria Battle to a Thrilling 1-1 Draw in 2026 World Cup Qualifier

The Free State Toyota Stadium was electric as South Africa and Nigeria played out a gripping 1-1 draw in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualification Group C clash.

The Round 8 encounter, a pivotal moment in the race for the 2026 World Cup, saw both teams trade blows in a tightly contested match that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.

The match kicked off with South Africa’s Bafana Bafana asserting early dominance, controlling 52% of possession and piling pressure on Nigeria’s defense.

The Super Eagles suffered an early setback when defender Ola Aina was forced off in the 10th minute due to injury, with Bright Osayi-Samuel stepping in as his replacement.

Tensions flared in the 18th minute when Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman and South Africa’s Siyabonga Ngezana were both booked after a heated clash.

South Africa’s persistence paid off in the 25th minute when an own goal by Nigeria’s captain, William Troost-Ekong, handed Bafana Bafana the lead. Under intense pressure from South Africa’s attacking play, Troost-Ekong inadvertently directed the ball into his own net, sparking wild celebrations among the home crowd.

Nigeria, however, showed resilience. Just before halftime, in the 44th minute, Calvin Bassey rose highest to head in an equalizer, assisted by Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.

Although, controversially attributed the goal as an own goal by South Africa’s Ngezana, but the strike was enough to level the score at 1-1, setting the stage for a pulsating second half.

The second half saw Nigeria’s coach, Eric Chelle, make bold moves, substituting Tolu Arokodare for Cyriel Dessers and Bruno Onyemaechi for Troost-Ekong at the break. The Super Eagles came out with renewed vigor, dominating possession and creating several chances.

In the 49th minute, Arokodare nearly put Nigeria ahead, but his effort from a tight angle skipped just wide of the post with no teammates able to connect.

South Africa responded with their own attacking intent, probing Nigeria’s penalty area around the 59th minute but failing to convert their possession into clear-cut chances. Both teams registered three shots on target in the first half, and the second half saw similar profligacy, with neither side able to find the decisive goal despite intense end-to-end action.

The draw leaves South Africa atop Group C with 16 points, maintaining their strong position to secure automatic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nigeria, sitting third with 10 points, face an uphill battle to claim the group’s top spot.

A win was crucial for the Super Eagles to keep their automatic qualification hopes alive, but the result means they must now win their final two qualifiers and hope for stumbles from South Africa or potential point deductions due to earlier eligibility disputes in the group.

For South Africa, they remain in pole position, the draw keeps the race for the top spot competitive.