The last round of matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Africa saw dramatic results and a number of turnarounds on the continent.
There were surprises along the line as the full list of nine automatic qualifiers was confirmed.
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Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Cape Verde, Morocco, Cote d’Ivoire, Algeria, Tunisia and Ghana are already through to the 2026 World Cup finals taking place in the United States of America, Mexico and Canada.
Nine other teams were in the running for the available four playoff spots. They are Gabon (25 points), Congo DR (22 points), Burkina Faso (21 points) Cameroon (19 points) Madagascar (19 points), Uganda (18 points), Nigeria (17 points), Namibia (15 points) and Niger (15 points).
This is the original playoff table in which most football-loving Nigerians already gave up before the final match, with the faint hope only on Eagles picking the sole automatic spot.
Miraculously however, Gabon and Cameroon are the two countries ahead of Nigeria in the new table for second-placed teams across the nine groups, going by CAF’s new method of calculating the second-placed teams following the withdrawal of Eritrea from the race.
Nigeria bagged 15 points with a goal difference of plus seven, as against Burkina Faso’s 15 points and goal difference of plus six. Burkina Faso few hours later lost their place in the playoff to DR Congo.
The winner in Morocco will proceed to the Six-Team Intercontinental Playoff, scheduled for the Mexican cities of Guadalaja and Monterrey in March next year, where two teams will emerge and qualify for the finals in USA, Canada and Mexico. The winner from the African playoff will be joined by Bolivia,
New Caledonia and two teams from Central America, and one from Asia. Not many saw the 4-0 victory recorded over Benin coming. The Eagles were simply fantastic on the day with Victor Osimhen hitting the target three times.
The fans were not even excited with the goals and Eagles’ huge win but somehow, the new CAF table for the second placed teams was a big miracle of sorts with Nigeria from the original 8th position moved up to 3rd, thus earning a spot as lifeline for the mundial.
It is however important to evaluate the tough playoff task. According to the draw released, it is a straight knockout format with two semifinals and final to be decided in Morocco. Nigeria will meet Gabon in the pairings while Cameroon will clash with DR Congo.
The original Playoff table had Gabon as number one team after earning 25 points after winning eight matches, drew one and lost just one with 22 goals scored and nine conceded to record plus 13 goal difference. This team is a tough side and it is only one decisive match. You win to move on and a defeat is straight ouster from the World Cup race. The route to earn the ticket is more cumbersome with only one team to emerge from Africa with another Sixteam playoff slated for March next year.
The journey is still very far. It was a surprise to see the energy the Eagles put in to win the Lesotho game 2-1 and Benin 4-0. One wonders why the players left it this late. If they can maintain such tempo, they will compete well to earn at least one of the two final slots at stake. This time, there are no margins for error because it is no longer a round robin format. Osimhen is Nigeria’s main man at the moment and he must be fit for the playoffs to brighten the chances of Nigeria.
The defence must also be very solid just as goalie Stanley Nwabali must be severely warned to be more focused and serious in all games. Coach Eric Chelle has won four games and drawn two since he took over the team and he deserves to be commended but the job is far from being done. The players must be ready to show 100 per cent commitment with this lifeline opportunity because if the ticket is lost, the majority of them will never feature in the FIFA World Cup. Preparation for the playoff must start now with less than one month to the decisive tournament in Morocco.
The Nigeria Football Federation should put all its machinery in place to guarantee total motivation for these players to deliver results. A ticket many thought had been lost is still up for grabs and so it is up to the players to rise to the occasion to get the job done despite the rough road ahead. It is a lifeline and a lifetime opportunity for the Super Eagles stars.
