Nigeria coach Eric Chelle has commented on the possibility of Bafana Bafana losing three points following his team's disappointing draw with Zimbabwe.
The Super Eagles' chances of qualifying for the World Cup were dented after the 1-1 tie against the Warriors at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Tuesday.
Conversely, red-hot Bafana Bafana easily overcame Benin at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Ivory Coast, while Lesotho and Rwanda also played to a draw on the night.
South Africa's win has strengthened their position at the top of Group C table with 13 points, which puts them six points ahead of the Super Eagles, with four games remaining in the World Cup qualifying campaign.
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Nevertheless, SA faces the threat of losing three points if they are punished for the infraction of fielding an ineligible Teboho Mokoena during their victory against Lesotho. Likoena have reportedly lodged a complaint to FIFA regarding this issue.
Following the draw against the Warriors, Chelle faces the reality of not seeing the team in the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico, as he now sounds relying on the potential of Bafana to lose points.
"I don't want to tell you about that," Chelle said when asked about Bafana Bafana fielding ineligible Teboho Mokoena, per All Nigeria Soccer.
''I said yesterday we are focused on our game, so this is why I talked to my guys after the game. I told them to look forward to second place. They did a great job during the ten days, so they deserve this qualification."
READ | Zimbabwe dent Nigeria's World Cup push
"I am trusting them and maybe if South Africa loses three points, the last game is against Rwanda so we can pass this team and after that we have a game against South Africa. If it is true, we will see what happens in the coming days."
The World Cup qualifying campaign will pick back up in September with Nigeria still have to square off against Hugo Broos' team in South Africa for the second leg.