Nigeria’s Super Eagles suffered a disappointing draw against Zimbabwe in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
South Africa national team head coach Hugo Bruce has expressed concern over the poor condition of the pitch in Rwanda, where Nigeria will play Zimbabwe in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Soccernet.ng reported.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles played Zimbabwe’s Warriors at Hue Stadium, drawing 1-1 with goals from Walter Musona and Kelechi Iheanacho.
Meanwhile, on the same problematic pitch, the Bafana Bafana coach suffered a shocking 2-0 defeat that left Rwanda at the top of the World Cup qualifiers.
In the run-up to the match, the Bulls criticized the artificial turf, considering it to be old and comparable to a street soccer field, rather than the new generation of artificial turf they had observed in other matches.
“When I watched the footage of the Rwanda vs. Zimbabwe match and the Afcon qualifiers, the pitch was bad.
“It was a new generation artificial turf pitch. However, this is an artificial turf pitch that is about 20 or 25 years old and is in very poor condition. It’s like playing on the street.” he said.
The condition of this pitch was a major concern for Nigeria against Zimbabwe, as some players of the Super Eagles, including Alex Iwobi, had previously expressed complaints about such a pitch compared to the standards of the MKO Abiola Stadium. It may have affected performance.
Iwobi stressed the importance of quality pitches in Nigeria, noting that players are used to well-maintained pitches due to their experience playing in Europe.
“If we pitch well in Nigeria, it will be difficult to win. That gives us confidence. There weren’t many teams that could beat us. Many of us played in Europe. I’m used to playing on good pitches, so I’m sure we’ll always have good pitches in Nigeria on flat grass,” the Fulham star previously said.
Although the draw was disappointing, the Portuguese coach expressed no complaints about the pitch and credited his team’s performance to the long journey to Rwanda.
Rwanda-based journalist Asher Komugisha said Rwanda’s match against the Super Eagles, scheduled for March 2025, will be held at the renovated Amahoro Stadium, which is expected to be completed before the match. I made it clear that.
