By Korede James
The Cheetahs of Benin Republic have temporarily taken the lead in the Super Eagles of Nigeria’s group in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers after drawing 2-2 with Zimbabwe in Durban, South Africa on Thursday.
The Warriors had to come from 2-0 down to force a 2-2 draw as Benin Republic rose to the summit on eight points, one more than second-place Rwanda, while Zimbabwe remain bottom with four points.
Steve Mounie gave Benin the lead on 12 minutes before Dokou Dodo made it 2-0 in the 35th minute.
Marshall Munetsi pulled a goal back for Zimbabwe with one minute left in the first half and Knowledge Musona completed the comeback just before the hour mark to help his side earn a share of the points.
Zimbabwe’s next fixture in the qualifiers is away to the Super Eagles on Tuesday in Uyo, while Benin will welcome South Africa to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire on the same day.
The group’s two other fixtures for this matchday will take place on Friday, with the Super Eagles facing Rwanda in Kigali and South Africa hosting Lesotho.
