AFRICAN GROUP B FIFA WORLD CUP STANDINGS
| Countries | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points | GF | GA | GD |
| Nigeria | 4 | 3 | 1 | – | 10 | 10 | 3 | +7 |
| Zambia | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 4 | +2 |
| Cameroon | 4 | – | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | -4 |
| Algeria | 4 | – | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | -5 |
A Sixteenth-minute penalty miss by Algeria’s talisman Riyad Mahrez and Zambia’s eventual 1-0 return leg victory in Constantine on Tuesday night combined to hand the Chipolopolo a touching chance of piling pressure on Nigeria’s leadership of African Group B 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying series.
The unexpected win for Zambia now takes them to seven points, three behind the Super Eagles with only two matches left in the qualifiers.
For the Dessert Warriors, this loss leaves them rooted at the bottom of Group B with just a single point. The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon are placed third with three points following their one-all draw with Nigeria on Monday in Yaoundé. With their performances and standings, both countries are already eliminated from qualifying for Russia 2018.
Away from the scintillating two-legged showing against the African champions, Cameroon, soccer fans are already turning their focus to Nigeria’s concluding rounds of the World Cup qualifying campaign that resumes on October 7, 2017 with the make or mar home clash against Chipolopolo of Zambia at the Godwills Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The no-consequence match between Cameroon and Algeria will also hold on the same date in Yaounde.
The final icing on the cake comes up about a month later on November 7, 2017 when the Eagles travel to play Algeria’s Desert Warriors at the Stade Mohamed-Hamlaoui in Constantine.
On the same night and time, Zambia will take on Cameroon at the dreaded Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola in an encounter whose importance would have been determined by the October 6 showdown in Uyo.
