Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong says Nigeria will approach next month’s CAF Play-Off Tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Morocco with determination and unity, after Tuesday’s emphatic 4–0 victory over Benin Republic in Uyo sealed their place in the final round of African qualifiers.
“We are quite happy to have that opportunity. It’s a long route, but it’s still a route,” Ekong said on Wednesday morning. “We would have loved to get the automatic ticket, but it didn’t happen and we take what we have. For us, we’ll remain strong, tough, and ready to confront every challenge on our way as we search for the ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“It was a wonderful team effort on Tuesday evening. Everyone contributed and played their part. If the other match had gone in our favour, we would be with the automatic ticket now. But that’s life – you take what you get, run with it, and make the best of it.”
The Super Eagles produced their best performance of the campaign in Uyo, with Victor Osimhen netting a hat-trick and substitute Frank Onyeka adding a fourth in stoppage time. The victory, however, was not enough to guarantee automatic qualification, as Rwanda failed to hold South Africa, who defeated the Amavubi 3–0 in Nelspruit to claim Group C’s sole ticket to the finals in North America.
It was a painful case of déjà vu for Nigerian fans, echoing the 2005 World Cup qualifiers, when Rwanda also failed to stop Angola in Kigali, despite Nigeria’s five-goal demolition of Zimbabwe in Abuja.
Nigeria, now set for the CAF Play-Off Tournament, will face Gabon’s Palancas Negras in the first semi-final on Thursday, November 13, while Cameroon will play the Democratic Republic of Congo the following day.
Winners of both ties will meet in the final on Sunday, 16 November, with the champion advancing to the Intercontinental Play-Offs in Mexico next March.
At the Intercontinental Play-Off Tournament, six teams will compete for two final World Cup slots – Africa’s representative, Bolivia, New Caledonia, the winner of the Iraq–UAE Asian play-off, and two teams from the CONCACAF trio of Jamaica, Costa Rica, and Panama.
