Despite the fact that Nigeria’s Super Eagle beat Benin 4 – 0, but did not make the top two team for the World Cup 2026 group c, there is still hope to qualify In the last six top losing team in the Africa group for the World Cup.
To qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Nigeria Super Eagles must finish in the top 2 in the six team playoffs final stage.
Current Situation in CAF Group C for Nigeria’s Super Eagles
Nigeria’s Super Eagles are competing in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers alongside Benin, South Africa, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho. As of October 14, 2025 (before the final matchday), here are the standings after nine matches each:
- Benin🇧🇯: Played 9, Wins 5, Draws 2, Losses 2, Goals For/Against 12/8, Goal Diff +4, Points 17
- South Africa🇿🇦: Played 9, Wins 4, Draws 3, Losses 2, Goals For/Against 11/7, Goal Diff +4, Points 15
- Nigeria🇳🇬: Played 9, Wins 3, Draws 5, Losses 1, Goals For/Against 9/6, Goal Diff +3, Points 14
- Rwanda🇷🇼: Played 9, Wins 2, Draws 3, Losses 4, Goals For/Against 7/10, Goal Diff -3, Points 9
- Zimbabwe🇿🇼: Played 9, Wins 2, Draws 1, Losses 6, Goals For/Against 6/13, Goal Diff -7, Points 7
- Lesotho🇱🇸: Played 9, Wins 1, Draws 3, Losses 5, Goals For/Against 5/12, Goal Diff -7, Points 6
Key Note: Due to Eritrea’s withdrawal from another group (resulting in uneven group sizes), points earned against the last-placed team in groups with six teams are excluded when ranking the best second-placed teams across all groups. Here, assuming Lesotho ends up last-placed (with Zimbabwe’s points edge potentially adjusted by tiebreakers), Nigeria earned 2 points against Zimbabwe (from two draws), so their adjusted points for second-place rankings become 12 (14 – 2, but only if Zimbabwe is not last). South Africa’s 3 points against Zimbabwe are deducted, adjusting them to 12 (15 – 3).
Path to Finishing Second in Group C
To secure second place (behind the group winner) and a shot at the best runners-up spots, Nigeria must win their final match against Benin.
Here’s how the scenarios unfold:
Nigeria wins vs. Benin: Nigeria reaches 17 points, while Benin stays at 17.
South Africa wins vs. Rwanda: South Africa reaches 18 points and wins the group. Nigeria would finish second at 17 points, ahead of Benin on goal difference if they score more than 2 goals.
Implications of Finishing Second
Finishing second does not guarantee direct qualification, only the nine group winners advance automatically to the 2026 World Cup.
Next Steps: The four best second-placed teams (ranked by adjusted points, then goal difference) proceed to the CAF playoffs in November 2025. The playoff winner advances to the inter-confederation playoffs in March 2026 (against teams from AFC, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC) for two additional World Cup spots.
Current Rankings of Second-Placed Teams (Adjusted Points, After 9/10 Matches; Finalized After October 14):
- Gabon: 16 points
- Burkina Faso: 15 points (fixtures complete)
- Niger: 15 points (fixtures complete)
- Cameroon: 14 points (one match left vs. Angola; max 17)
- DR Congo: 13 points (one match left vs. Sudan)
- Uganda: 12 points (one match left vs. Algeria)
- Nigeria: 12 points (adjusted; one match left) [+3 GD]
- 8-9. Others (e.g., Namibia, Kenya): 10 points or fewer
If Nigeria finishes second with 17 total points, their adjusted total would be 15 (17 – 2 vs. Zimbabwe), positioning them around 3rd or 4th in the runners-up rankings (ahead of Niger and Burkina Faso on points; potentially edging Cameroon if their max adjusted is similar, depending on goal difference improvements).
This would likely secure a spot in the CAF playoffs (top 4) with 1 country qualifying for the next stage, the inter-confederation stage.
To qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Nigeria Super Eagles must finish in the top 2 in the six team playoffs final stage.
