Nigerian football’s heartbeat is fluttering after last night’s 1-1 draw with Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium. Kenneth Omeruo, our Kasimpasa rock and Super Eagles veteran, jumped on X post-match with a rallying cry that’s got fans like me a Lagos boy who lives for green and white torn between hope and heartbreak. “Well done boys… we are almost there… unlucky with the late goal… #Believe,” he posted, per Daily Post Nigeria, saluting his squad despite a result that’s left our 2026 World Cup dreams wobbling. Omeruo’s got faith, but after this stumble, can we still soar, or are we grounded for good?
The scene was set for triumph. Fresh off a 2-0 win in Rwanda, we rolled into Uyo with swagger. Victor Osimhen, our Napoli predator, delivered in the 74th minute, nodding in Ola Aina’s perfect cross. The stadium shook 30,000 of us roaring like it was 1994 all over again. I was glued to my TV, fist-pumping, texting my boys: “Three points, done!” We’d bossed it 65% possession, Zimbabwe barely breathing in our half. Then, minute 83 flipped the script. Tawanda Chirewa, some Huddersfield kid, slipped past Omeruo, dodged Calvin Bassey, and beat Stanley Nwabali at his near post. 1-1. Osimhen’s tears hit the pitch; my living room went quiet. How did we let this slip?
Omeruo’s words feel like a lifeline. At 31, he’s seen it all World Cups, AFCON glory, tough nights like this. “Almost there,” he insists, and you can hear the steel in his voice, the kind that’s held our defense since 2013. He’s not wrong we’re not dead yet. Seven points from six games, fourth in Group C, with South Africa at 13, Rwanda at 10, Benin at 7. Zimbabwe’s five points mock us from the bottom, but Omeruo’s “#Believe” is a call to arms. X fans like @NaijaFootyLad at 08:30 WAT cling to it: “Omeruo’s spirit is what we need.” Others, like @EagleEye234 at 09:15 WAT, snap back: “Believe what? We’re choking!”
The stats don’t lie this hurts. One win in six qualifiers, against Rwanda. Draws with Lesotho, Zimbabwe twice, losses elsewhere. Osimhen’s a god, Aina’s a gem, but the back? Soft. Omeruo’s “unlucky” tag for Chirewa’s goal stings because he was there, too slow, too late. Coach Eric Chelle’s high press flopped Zimbabwe’s Marshal Munetsi crowed about their “determination,” per Daily Post Nigeria, and it showed. We had the ball, the crowd, the chance. Yet we blinked. X at 09:45 WAT rages: “Chelle out, Omeruo can’t save this alone.”
Group C’s a jungle now. South Africa’s flying, Rwanda’s scrapping, and we’re praying Benin slips or Bafana’s ineligible player mess docks them points, per Daily Post Nigeria. Four games left: South Africa away, Rwanda home, Benin away, Lesotho somewhere. We need 12 points every drop of sweat to hit the USA, Mexico, and Canada in 2026. Omeruo’s been to two World Cups; he knows the drill. “Almost there” could be prophetic if we wake up. Osimhen’s fire can light it, but the defense? The coach? The NFF’s chaos? That’s on us to fix.
For me, it’s personal. I grew up on Super Eagles tales my uncle’s 1998 Bulgaria screams still echo in my head. Last night, I saw Osimhen’s pain and felt it too. Omeruo’s belief isn’t blind he’s rallying a nation that’s tired of “almost.” So, Nigeria, let’s answer him. Flood the streets, X, the NFF’s inbox demand more. We’re not Zimbabwe’s mates; we’re giants. Four matches to prove it. Omeruo says fly. Can we? Let’s make him right.