10 Countries in Battle With Super Eagles for WC Ticket Through Inter-Confederation Tournament
- The Super Eagles will face Gabon next in their first play-off clash in Morocco this November
- Eleven countries, including Nigeria, will battle for the last two World Cup slots for the 2026 tournament
- Nigeria booked a place in the World Cup play-offs after finishing second in Group C behind South Africa with 17 points
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Nigeria’s dream of securing an automatic qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup was dashed despite a commanding 4-0 win over Benin Republic.
Victor Osimhen’s hat-trick and Frank Onyeka’s late goal were not enough to top Group C, as South Africa’s Bafana Bafana sealed their spot with an emphatic 3-0 victory against Rwanda.
Source: Getty Images
After ten rounds of matches, South Africa finished with 18 points, while Nigeria and Benin were tied on 17 points, but the Super Eagles took second place thanks to a better goal difference, as seen on FIFA's official website.
The Super Eagles, however, secured a lifeline by emerging as one of the best second-placed teams across all qualifying groups.
That result earned the three-time African champions a ticket to the play-off tournament scheduled for November in Morocco, Nigeria’s final shot at reaching the 2026 World Cup.
For the Super Eagles that missed the last World Cup in Qatar, the stakes could not be higher for Eric Chelle’s side.
Nigeria’s playoff path to the World Cup
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed that Nigeria will face Gabon in their opening playoff match in Morocco.
The winner will advance to a mini final, where they could face either Cameroon or DR Congo in what promises to be a heavyweight clash.
The playoff format, designed by FIFA, brings together 11 teams from different continents, including Africa, Asia, Oceania, CONCACAF, and South America, for a mini-tournament, GOAL reports.
The two teams that emerge from this intercontinental playoff will earn the final tickets to the 2026 World Cup.
Nigeria’s path is far from straightforward, because top teams like Cameroon, Costa Rica, and Iraq are also in the mix for the World Cup ticket through the play-offs.
All teams qualified for playoffs
The 11 teams confirmed for the playoff include: Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon, DR Congo, Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica, New Caledonia, Bolivia, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates.
Source: Getty Images
Africa’s representatives will compete first, with the winners advancing to the intercontinental playoff to face teams from other regions.
The final Intercontinental tournament in March 2025 will determine the two nations that complete the 48-team lineup for the 2026 World Cup.
With the Super Eagles’ attacking firepower led by Osimhen, and the hunger to make amends after missing Qatar 2022, expectations are sky-high.
Nigerians are feeling optimistic that the Super Eagles can go all the way, but in a competition this difficult, even a moment’s lapse could be costly for the three-time African champions.
Nigeria learns opponent in playoffs
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that the Super Eagles of Nigeria have discovered their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier continental playoff opponents after the CAF qualifying series was concluded.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will face the Panthers of Gabon in the semi-final of the playoff tourney, while the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon will face the Leopards of DR Congo.
Source: Legit.ng
