By Ayobami Okerinde
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have suffered a major setback in their quest to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup following the conclusion of Matchday 9 fixtures in the African qualifiers on Tuesday.
Nigeria currently sits third in Group C with 11 points from eight matches, three points behind table-toppers Benin Republic and South Africa, who both have 14 points.
With the World Cup expanded to 48 teams, Africa has nine automatic qualification slots, plus an additional four places for the best second-placed teams across the nine groups.
However, results elsewhere on Tuesday have dealt a huge blow to Nigeria’s hopes of sneaking in as one of the best second-placed sides. Burkina Faso’s 1–0 win over Sierra Leone, Cameroon’s 2–0 victory against Mauritius, and Madagascar’s 2–1 triumph over Comoros have pushed their respective point tallies out of Nigeria’s reach.
As it stands, Gabon and Madagascar sit on 19 points each, while Burkina Faso and Cameroon are both on 18. Even if the Super Eagles win their remaining two matches, away to Lesotho and at home to Benin Republic, they can only reach a maximum of 17 points.
To keep their World Cup dream alive, Nigeria must take maximum points from both games with strong goal margins and hope South Africa drops points in at least one of their remaining fixtures.
Vanguard News
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