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NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko laments Super Eagles' draw vs Zimbabwe despite dominance, praises effort, and sees a bright future after heartbreak under new boss Eric Chelle.
Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), has shared his thoughts on the Super Eagles’ frustrating 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, a result that left Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup hopes hanging by a thread. Taking to his X account.
Dikko expressed a mix of disappointment and optimism following the match, which saw the team dominate but fail to secure the victory they desperately needed.
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“Nigeria vs Zimbabwe: Not the result Nigeria wanted and desperately craved,” Dikko posted. “Football sometimes can be brutal as it’s still a rude shock that the SuperEagles dominated play for the entire 90 minutes of the match, created over 42 attacking plays in the opponent box with over 10 clear and decent chances to score (which on a good day could have easily been goals) and gave very little opening to the opponents ended up drawing the match!”
Despite the late equaliser from Zimbabwe that silenced the Uyo crowd and echoed the heartbreak of recent Super Eagles setbacks, Dikko was quick to praise the team’s effort.
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“Nonetheless, I must commend the SuperEagles players and the technical crew led by Eric Chelle for putting up a brilliant and determined performance as evident from the match statistics as they gave their all to win the match, but it was just not meant to be,” he wrote.
Dikko, who had previously declared three points against Zimbabwe as “non-negotiable” ahead of the clash, shifted focus to the bigger picture.
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He highlighted the progress made under new coach Chelle, who took charge in January 2025, noting that the team’s showing in this international window, coupled with their 2-0 win over Rwanda days earlier, marked a step forward.
“However, on a balance of scales, the performance of the team during this window, both from the technical play, the team commitment and indeed the points garnered, is clearly an improvement from where the team was coming from,” he stated. “The positive pointers are that the future looks quite bright and exciting.”
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For Dikko, the draw, while a bitter pill, does not overshadow the potential he sees in this Super Eagles squad. With Nigeria now facing an uphill battle in their World Cup qualifying group, the NSC Chairman’s words offer a glimmer of hope amid the sting of a result that slipped away, a sentiment that will be tested as the team prepares for their next challenge in the campaign.
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