Nigeria have failed to secure an automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup
Despite a dominant 4-0 win over Benin Republic on Tuesday night, October 14, 2025, at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, the Super Eagles of Nigeria have missed out on automatic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
A stunning hat-trick from Victor Osimhen and a late goal from Frank Onyeka secured a comfortable victory, but results elsewhere, particularly South Africa’s 3-0 triumph over Rwanda, meant Nigeria could not claim top spot in Group C.
Instead, they have earned a place in the CAF playoffs as one of the four best second-placed teams.
The Super Eagles began in blistering fashion, taking the lead inside three minutes when Samuel Chukwueze slipped a clever through ball to Osimhen, who calmly slotted past the Benin goalkeeper.
South Africa seal qualification for 2026 FIFA World Cup
Nigeria continued to dominate possession, and their pressure paid off just before halftime when Osimhen rose highest to head home another Chukwueze assist, doubling the advantage.
After the break, Osimhen completed his hat-trick in style, reacting quickest to a free-kick delivery to nod in his third of the night and cap a vintage striker’s performance.
With the game winding down, substitute Frank Onyeka added a fourth goal, bursting into the box to finish off a loose ball in stoppage time.
The emphatic result pushed Nigeria to 15 points with a +7 goal difference, enough to mathematically secure third place among the playoff qualifiers, a spot that cannot be overtaken by any remaining team.
Due to Eritrea’s withdrawal from the qualification series, results against sixth-placed teams were excluded from the calculations, leaving Nigeria’s two points from their meetings with Zimbabwe deducted from the tally.
Even so, the Super Eagles finished ahead of Burkina Faso and Niger to clinch a playoff berth.
Nigeria will now contest the CAF playoff mini-tournament, which features two semi-finals and a final, with the overall winner advancing to the FIFA inter-confederation playoffs.
The victory keeps Nigeria’s World Cup hopes alive, as they seek to avoid missing the tournament for the second consecutive time after falling short in Qatar 2022.
FKA
Meanwhile, watch highlights of Ghana’s 1-0 win over Comoros in the World Cup qualifiers
