The Nigerian Super Eagles delivered their most clinical performance of the qualifiers campaign, securing a critical 2026 World Cup lifeline.
This is as the Super Eagles secured a 2026 World Cup Playoff Spot with a decisive 4-0 victory over the Benin Republic.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the Super Eagles entered the Benin Republic match knowing automatic qualification might be out of reach.
This means the team will have to compete for a narrow entry into the next stage reserved for the best runners-up across the continent.
The immediate urgency required to secure a wide victory margin was evident from the opening minutes.
Star forward, Victor Osimhen capitalised on the early pressure to put the ball in the back of the net in the third minute.
Osimhen fired the ball past the line after receiving a throughball from winger Samuel Chukwueze.
Osimhen and Chukwueze’s connection delivered the crucial second goal in the 37th minute. Chukwueze delivered a cross from the right, which Osimhen met with to power home the header, moving the score to 2-0.
The hat-trick was confirmed early in the second half. Moses Simon, who stepped up after Chukwueze’s exit, served as the provider for Osimhen’s third goal in the 51st minute.
However, despite scoring three goals, Nigeria’s World Cup lifeline was still in the dark. The team needed to score one more before a play-off spot could be secured.
The much-needed goal was provided by Frank Onyeka, who put the ball into the net in the dying minutes.
The result, achieved against a Benin side that started the day as Group C leaders, represented a total reversal of fortune for Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup lifeline.
The victory kept Nigeria’s World Cup lifeline and keeps them in the hunt for their seventh appearance at the biggest stage.
How Nigeria Qualified for the Play-offs
The complex nature of the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers meant that the final score margin was as important as the victory itself.
With only the nine group winners earning automatic spots, the Super Eagles were fighting for one of the four berths in the CAF play-off tournament, which is reserved for the best group runners-up across the nine groups.
Another development that played a part in the play-offs qualification is the withdrawal of Eritrea from the qualifier.
Following the development, CAF announced that for every other group, the points and goals scored against the bottom team will not count towards determining the top 4.
This means that after Nigeria’s point and goal tally against Zimbabwe (last in Group C) was removed, the team finished as 3rd third-best qualifying team.
To secure the Super Eagles’ 2026 World Cup Playoff Spot, Nigeria had to ensure its goal difference (GD) surpassed its closest rivals in the runner-up rankings.
The key statistical hurdle was overcoming the Goal Difference held by Burkina Faso, the runners-up in Group A, who maintained a GD of +6. At the time of Osimhen’s hat-trick (51st minute), Nigeria’s Goal Difference was only +5 (or closely behind the rival), meaning the current 3-0 scoreline was insufficient to guarantee their playoff passage if other results went against them.
Meanwhile, in other developments, seven African teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
They are;
Algeria
Egypt
Ghana
Morocco
Tunisia
Cape Verde
South Africa
