Coach Finidi George has expressed confidence his team will bounce back to top reckoning in the 2026 World Cup qualifying series after they dropped points for the third straight game against South Africa.
The Super Eagles are yet to win in the World Cup qualifiers after they could only force another 1-1 draw at home with Bafana Bafana Friday night in the southern Nigerian town of Uyo.
They are now second from bottom of Group C with three points from as many matches.
Lesotho lead the section with five points, Rwanda are second on four points, while Benin are in third place with the same four points, but an inferior goals’ difference.
Zimbabwe are bottom having recorded two points.
Finidi George said even though his team dropped two vital points at home against main rivals South Africa, they are capable of getting their qualifying campaign back on course.
“I am not shaken, I am relaxed, we know what is at stake, we know we have to qualify (for the World Cup), but that does not mean we have to run helter skelter because of the draw,” he maintained.
“We dropped points and that should not break us, a positive result will change the narrative.
“It is not the best result we wanted, we have to get our heads up and work for the next game (Benin).”
The former Nigeria international winger said the team raised their game in the second half after they struggled in the first period against the more cohesive South Africa
“We started poorly in the first half, we took over the game immediately we scored in the second half,” he said.
“We missed chances, overall it was not a bad second half for us. The players reacted well in the second half.”
The Super Eagles will take on Benin in Ivory Coast Monday in continuation of the World Cup qualifying tournament before it breaks till March 2025.
