Burkina Faso defender Steve Yago has slammed the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification format that saw Nigeria advance ahead of his country.
“Honestly, it’s strange: you win your games against the weakest team in your group, yet Nigeria is ahead of you, even though they haven’t beaten Zimbabwe, who are last in their group. Apparently, beating the bottom team is too mainstream.
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“Thank you, CAF and FIFA! My career is nearing its end, so I’ll start studying the system to criticize you properly soon.”
Nigeria occupies the third position of the playoff slots and cannot be displaced mathematically by any team.
Due to Eritrea’s withdrawal from the qualification, countries vying for playoff spots will have the results against the sixth-placed teams in their various groups subtracted from their total point accumulation.
Nigeria earned only two points against Zimbabwe, who finished sixth in Group C.
For the playoff spots, Nigeria had 15 points with a +7 goal difference, surpassing Burkina Faso and Niger
The Super Eagles will be one of the four best runner-up teams competing in the African playoffs to be held in Morocco in November.
The winner will advance to the inter-confederation playoff, which will determine the final two qualification slots for the 2026 World Cup.
