Nigeria protests Zimbabwe’s stadium crisis, claims unfair World Cup advantage for South Africa
HARARE, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe’s lack of FIFA-approved stadiums has sparked outrage in Nigeria ahead of the final stretch of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The Super Eagles have lodged a formal complaint with FIFA, arguing that Zimbabwe’s decision to host home matches in South Africa gives Bafana Bafana an unfair advantage in Group C.
Zimbabwe has been playing its home fixtures in South Africa since its stadiums were banned, following unfulfilled promises to upgrade facilities since being red flagged by CAF in 2020. The National Sports Stadium, the closest to meeting FIFA standards, is undergoing renovations, with bucket seats being installed at a sluggish pace and no clear timeline for completion.
SCORENigeria reported that Nigeria has submitted a strongly worded protest to FIFA, claiming that the integrity of the qualifiers is at risk because both Zimbabwe and Lesotho are hosting their home matches in South Africa, a direct rival in Group C.
“This is against fair play as it gives South Africa an undue advantage to qualifying for the World Cup,” a top Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) official told SCORENigeria. “The NFF are therefore asking that the forthcoming home games of Lesotho and Zimbabwe against South Africa be moved out of South Africa.”
As it stands, South Africa will effectively play their remaining four World Cup qualifying matches on home soil.
In September, Matchday 7 against Lesotho (away) and Matchday 8 against Nigeria (home) will both take place in South Africa. Similarly, in October, Matchday 9 against Zimbabwe (away) and Matchday 10 against Rwanda (home) will also be played in the same country.
South Africa currently leads Group C with 13 points from six matches, while Rwanda is second with eight points. Benin and Nigeria follow with eight and seven points, respectively, while Lesotho is fifth with six points, and Zimbabwe sits at the bottom with four points.
The controversy over Zimbabwe’s home venue comes as pressure mounts for local authorities to expedite stadium renovations and reclaim home advantage for the Warriors.
