Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has underscored the pivotal significance of securing a victory against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa to keep Nigeria’s hopes alive for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.

The much-anticipated World Cup qualifier between Nigeria and South Africa is set to take place in September, marking the eighth matchday of the qualification series. With only four rounds of matches remaining, the stakes are incredibly high for the Super Eagles as they aim to close the gap in Group C standings.

Currently, Bafana Bafana, under the guidance of coach Hugo Broos, lead the group with 13 points from six matches, holding a commanding six-point advantage over the Super Eagles. This scenario makes the upcoming fixtures even more crucial for Nigeria’s qualification ambitions.

Coach Eric Chelle acknowledged the pressing need for his team to secure maximum points from their remaining matches to stay in contention for a World Cup berth. Speaking to SCORENigeria, he emphasized the importance of an away victory against South Africa but also cautioned against looking too far ahead.

“We must triumph in South Africa; however, our immediate focus must be on the match against Rwanda in Uyo,” Chelle stated, reinforcing the necessity of taking each game step by step.

Recognizing the strengths of the South African team, Chelle admitted that the Super Eagles must be tactically disciplined to prevent their opponents from gaining control of the game. “While they are a formidable side, we cannot afford to let them dictate the pace of the game,” he noted.

However, before shifting full focus to the challenge posed by Bafana Bafana, Chelle stressed the importance of first securing victory against Rwanda at home. A win in Uyo would boost the team’s morale and position them strongly ahead of their crucial away encounter in South Africa.

As the qualification race intensifies, the Super Eagles will need to demonstrate resilience, strategic discipline, and attacking efficiency to keep their World Cup dreams alive. Nigerian football fans eagerly await how the team will rise to the challenge in these decisive fixtures.

Bukayo Saka marked his return from injury with a goal as Arsenal defeated Fulham 2-1 on Tuesday, cutting the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to nine points.

The England international, who had been sidelined for 101 days, came off the bench to head in Arsenal’s second goal on his first appearance since December 21. Mikel Merino had earlier given the Gunners the lead with a deflected first-half effort.

Despite the win, Arsenal suffered a setback as key defender Gabriel Magalhães limped off with an injury.

Jurrien Timber also left the pitch late on with a knee problem, adding to Mikel Arteta’s injury concerns ahead of next week’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid.

“(We are) worried because he never wants to come off, and he had to,” Arteta said about Gabriel. “He felt he could not continue.”

Saka’s return was met with a rousing ovation from the Emirates crowd.

“It was a good opportunity to see how much people love him and missed him,” Arteta said. “The reception he got was magnificent. He lifts the stadium, and I am so happy for him because he fully deserves it.”

Rodrigo Muniz scored a stoppage-time goal for Fulham, but the defeat dents their hopes of qualifying for European football next season. The Cottagers remain eighth, three points behind a top-five finish that could secure a Champions League spot next season.

While Liverpool remain in control of the title race, Arsenal’s top-five finish looks assured, as they now sit 14 points clear of sixth-placed Newcastle.

Arteta’s side are on course for a second consecutive runners-up finish, but with Saka back in action, they will hope to push Liverpool until the end—and make a deep run in Europe’s elite competition.

Third-tier Arminia Bielefeld stunned holders Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 on Tuesday, coming from a goal down to reach the German Cup final for the first time in the club’s history.

Bielefeld, who have eliminated four Bundesliga teams in consecutive rounds in the competition, became the fourth third-tier side to reach the German Cup final.

“I am so proud of the team,” Bielefeld coach Michel Kniat said. “The whole region is feeling this. No one will be sleeping tonight.

“We defended with a lot of passion and that was the key. We worked extremely hard. It was great to go into the break with the lead and in the second half we kept up the pressure for what was a deserved win,” he added.

Leverkusen, who had never lost a German Cup match under coach Xabi Alonso, were made to work hard before taking the lead in the 17th minute with Jonathan Tah’s tap-in at the far post from a corner.

Their joy only lasted three minutes with Marius Woerl beating keeper Lukas Hradecky with a low drive to draw the hosts level.

Hradecky pulled off a spectacular save in the 26th when he blocked Sarenren Bazee’s point-blank effort but Bielefeld’s comeback was complete on the stroke of halftime with a close-range volley from Maximilian Grosser.

The hosts were relentless, keeping up the pressure and carving out several chances after the break before Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick hit the post with an 81st-minute header.

Leverkusen, who won the league and Cup double without defeat last season, are in second place in the Bundesliga, six points behind leaders Bayern Munich, with seven league games remaining.

“It is hard to say what went wrong so shortly after the game but when we say that Bielefeld deserved to reach the final then that means we did a lot of things wrong,” said Leverkusen midfielder Robert Andrich.

“We were missing all our usual strengths,” he added. “We could not have an impact up front and we made far too many mistakes at the back. It was clearly our worst game this season. We have to accept that we messed it up.”

VfB Stuttgart face RB Leipzig on Wednesday in the other semi-final.