The Nigerian top–flight poacher Victor Osimhen on target, as the Nigeria national team displayed a dramatic performance to conclude the 2026 CAF World Cup qualifiers, stunting Benin 4–0 in the Group C final encounter, at Godswill Akpabio National Stadium, Tuesday evening.
With Bafana Bafana of South Africa thrashing Rwanda 3–0 in home encounter—leading the Group C table with a lone point ahead of Nigeria, while securing an automatic qualification to the World Cup—The Super Eagles of Nigeria will battle for the spot in the playoffs.
With the last encounter being a must–win for the Nigeria team to keep their World Cup hopes alive, the Galatasaray striker responded with an electrifying performance, opening the floor for his side just three minutes into the match, with the scoreboard reading 1–0. Thanks to a beautiful assist from Samuel Chukwueze.
The three–time African best player doubled the lead in the 37th–minute to extend the lead to 2–0, courtesy of another fine pass from Chukwueze, as Nigeria secured a comfortable win in the first–half.
Victor Osimhen completed a well finished hat–trick six minutes after the break, extending the domination to three to nil. The victory was sealed by Frank Onyeka, who found the back of the net in injury time, with an assist from Moses Simon.
Despite the dominant display, the night’s destiny was shaped in another stadium. Simultaneously, South Africa’s Bafana Bafana secured a 3-0 win over Rwanda, a result that propelled them to the top of the group with 18 points.
The Super Eagles finished second with 17 points, narrowly edging out the Benin Republic, who also had 17 points, on a superior goal difference.
The Road to North America Continues
While the automatic berth eluded the Super Eagles, Nigeria’s victory secured a crucial lifeline. By emerging as one of the best second-placed teams across the nine African qualifying groups, the Super Eagles have qualified for the next round of playoffs.
South Africa now joins the already qualified African nations—Ghana, Cape Verde, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria—in booking their tickets for the global showpiece in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Nigeria’s journey, however, will now go through a tense playoff round in Morocco this November. They are set to face Gabon, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso in a mini-tournament, with the winner advancing to a final intercontinental playoff for one of the last spots at the 2026 World Cup finals.