Super Eagles secured a spot in the playoff for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers after a 4-0 win over Benin Republic in their final game of the qualifiers with Victor Osimhen scoring a hattrick, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Osimhen’s hattrick was followed by a late goal from Frank Onyeka which ensured that Nigeria finished second in their group, and also picked up one of the four slots allocated to best second place teams among all the groups.
From there they will advance the CAF playoff, a mini tournament which will be played next month in Morocco. The winner might need to win up to four games to reach the 2026 World Cup depending on their FIFA ranking.
Nigeria after the conclusion of all the games in the group will face Gabon for a spot in the final , with the other final to be contested between Cameroon and Congo Dr.
The winner of the final then advances to the intercontinental playoffs, where six teams from CAF, AFC, CONMEBOL, OFC, and two from CONCACAF will compete.
The four lowest-ranked teams play first, with the winners going on to face the two highest-ranked sides for the final two World Cup spots. The teams who make the final have already sealed a spot in the world cup.
