A hat-trick from Victor Osimhen and a stoppage-time goal from Frank Onyeka guided Nigeria to a solid 4-0 win over Benin in their final FIFA World Cup qualifier, in Uyo.
The Super Eagles finish second in Group C, and will now go into the interconfederation playoffs to fight for a spot at the World Cup.
Going into this match, Nigeria were third in Group C with 14 points, sitting one point behind second-placed South Africa and three behind leaders Benin.
But the Nigerians changed their destiny with their own efforts, thrashing Benin 4-0 to move to the second place.
Thanks to their impressive goal-scoring performance, the result also confirmed they will finish as one of the four best runners-up from the CAF qualifiers, who will have a chance at World Cup qualification through an intercontinental playoff.
South Africa walked away with the top spot with their 3-0 victory over Rwanda, securing their return to the World Cup for the first time since 2010.
So far, seven African teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
- Algeria
- Egypt
- Ghana
- Morocco
- Tunisia
- Cape Verde
- South Africa
Two more spots will be filled later on Tuesday, as the winners of Groups B and F will be decided.
One more African team could qualify via the interconfederation playoffs.
The second round of the CAF qualifiers will pit the four best runners-up in two one-off semifinals, followed by a final. The winner of this second round will participate in the FIFA playoff tournament.
The interconfederation playoffs will see six sides fight it out for the final two places at the World Cup.
It will involve two teams from CONCACAF and one team each from the AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL and OFC. The tournament will take place in March 2026.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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