Nigeria’s Super Eagles kept their 2026 FIFA World Cup hopes alive after a resounding 4–0 victory over Benin Republic in Uyo on Tuesday night, courtesy of a Victor Osimhen hat-trick, capped by a late Frank Onyeka strike.
The win, however, was not enough to secure an automatic ticket South Africa, who defeated Rwanda 3–0 earlier in the day in Mbombela, claimed the group’s only automatic ticket to next year’s finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The Super Eagles’ emphatic win at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium ensured they finished second in the group and advanced to next month’s CAF Four-Team Playoff Tournament in Morocco.
Nigeria went into Tuesday’s clash needing a win and a South African slip-up, but Bafana Bafana made no mistake in their own fixture. Regardless, the Super Eagles turned on the style in front of a packed Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
Osimhen opened scoring inside two minutes, calmly slotting past Benin’s goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou after being set up by Samuel Chukwueze. The Napoli striker doubled Nigeria’s lead in the 36th minute, rising highest to head home another Chukwueze cross as the hosts dominated proceedings.
Despite Benin’s brief attacking moments, notably through Steve Mounié and Tosin Aiyegun, Nigeria’s Stanley Nwabali stood firm between the posts. Six minutes into the second half, Osimhen completed his hat-trick, nodding in from a Moses Simon free-kick to make it 3–0.
The treble took Osimhen’s international tally to 29 goals in 44 appearances, putting him within nine goals of equalling the late Rashidi Yekini’s all-time Nigeria scoring record. Substitute Frank Onyeka added a fourth in stoppage time, rifling home Simon’s cross to seal an impressive win.
Chelle’s rescue mission
Since his appointment as Nigeria’s head coach in January 2025, Eric Chelle has overseen a resurgence of the Super Eagles’ World Cup campaign. In six matches, the 47-year-old guided Nigeria to four wins and two draws, collecting 14 points and remaining unbeaten. Under the former Mali coach’s watch, Nigeria defeated Rwanda twice, edged Lesotho and Benin away and home respectively, and held South Africa and Zimbabwe to draws.
South Africa Secure World Cup Return
In Mbombela, Bafana Bafana cruised to a 3–0 win over Rwanda to seal top spot in Group C and book their World Cup return after 16 years. Thalente Mbatha opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a powerful strike that slipped through Fiacre Ntwari’s gloves. Oswin Appollis doubled the lead midway through the first half, converting from Evidence Makgopa’s assist.
Makgopa then turned scorer in the second half, heading home from an Appollis corner to round off a commanding display that sent fans across South Africa into wild celebration.
South Africa’s qualification marks their first World Cup appearance since hosting the tournament in 2010, and caps a remarkable turnaround after they were docked points earlier in the campaign for fielding an ineligible player.
CAF Play-offs comes next for Nigeria, others
After the final round of qualifiers played on Tuesday night, the nine African slots available for the 2026 World Cup have been confirmed.
Tunisia, Algeria, Ghana, Egypt, South Africa, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Cabo Verde and Morocco will represent Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
However, with their 15-point finish and a goal difference of +7, Nigeria secured a spot in the CAF Four-Team Playoff Tournament, joining Congo DR, Gabon, and Cameroon – the best second-placed sides from the nine African qualifying groups.
The playoff, scheduled for November 13–16 in Morocco, will determine the continent’s final representative in the intercontinental playoffs next March, where two of six teams will book World Cup places.
The winner will advance to the six-team Intercontinental Playoff in March 2026, where the African representative will face teams from Asia, Oceania, and the Americas for one of the final two World Cup tickets.
The CAF Playoff Tournament in Morocco promises high drama as Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo DR, and Gabon vie for Africa’s final slot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. For Nigeria, Osimhen’s heroics have given renewed hope after a turbulent qualifying campaign, and the Super Eagles will look to carry that momentum into November’s decisive fixtures – a last chance to secure their ticket to next year’s World Cup.
Other African Qualifiers Confirm Spots
Elsewhere across the continent, several African heavyweights confirmed their automatic qualification in emphatic fashion.
Senegal booked their place with a 4–0 thrashing of Mauritania in Diamniadio. Sadio Mané netted twice, either side of half-time, while Iliman Ndiaye and Habib Diallo completed the rout that ensured the Lions of Teranga finished top of Group B.
Côte d’Ivoire continued their resurgence under coach Emerse Faé, cruising past Kenya 3–0 in Abidjan. Franck Kessié’s early strike set the tone before Yan Diomandé and Amad Diallo added second-half goals to confirm the Elephants’ fourth World Cup appearance in five editions.
Congo DR edged Sudan 1–0 in Kinshasa thanks to a Theo Bongonda goal, sealing their place in the CAF playoff tournament, while Gabon joined them after two late goals from Bryan Meyo and Mario Lemina earned a 2–0 win over Burundi.
In Group G, already-qualified Algeria were held 2–2 by Uganda in Boukhalfa, while Mozambique ended their campaign on a high with a 1–0 win over Somalia, courtesy of Geny Catamo’s early strike.
Elsewhere, The Gambia produced a seven-goal spectacle, thrashing Seychelles 7–0, with Abdoulie Manneh netting a hat-trick and Musa Barrow scoring twice. Guinea and Botswana shared a 2–2 draw in Conakry, rounding off their campaigns with a flurry of goals.
Already-qualified Morocco wrapped up their campaign with a 1–0 home victory over Congo, with Youssef En-Nesyri scoring the winner.
