WCQ: Hope dims as Nigeria stands at 8th position on playoff list

The result, and that of Benin Republic pounding Lesotho 4-0, places Nigeria third on the Group C log with 11 points.

Group leaders South Africa have 17 points, while the Cheetahs of Benin Republic are second with 14 points.

According to the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA), 10 countries from Africa will participate in the expanded World Cup in 2026.

While nine Confederation of African Football (CAF) group winners will secure direct entry to the World Cup 2026, the four best runners-up will participate in an intercontinental playoff for the possibility of securing a 10th spot at the tournament.

Before the conclusion of the matches on Tuesday and computation of the table, Nigeria was eighth on that table of four best runners up.

It was behind Gabon that had played seven matches as at the time of computation, with 16 points, and Madagascar and Benin Republic, which both have 14 points.

But with the massive 4-0 win recorded by Benin Republic against Lesotho, Nigeria dropped to number three on the Group C log and out of contention for the best four runners-up.

Still on the table ahead of Nigeria before the win by Benin Republic were Congo DR, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Namibia, and Uganda.

Many Nigerians had hoped that the Super Eagles would be able to clip the Bafana Bafana on Tuesday.

But they could only force South Africa’s Bafana Bafana to a 1-1 draw at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

The Group C leaders started with a scorching pace, asking several questions from both wings of the Nigerian rearguard.

And their fortune was helped somewhat after only eight minutes when wing-back Olaoluwa Aina sustained an injury while driving down to the right to ask his own questions of the Bafana defence.

He had to be replaced by Bright Osayi-Samuel.

Cyriel Dessers, who had an unimpressive game in Uyo in the match against Rwanda on Friday, where he turned out be a substitute that was substituted, did not have a better game as he was too slow to latch onto passes, could not win aerial balls, and did little in bringing alive the Nigerian attack.

The Super Eagles’ fighting spirit was diminished for a period after team captain Williams Troost-Ekong inadvertently swept the ball into his own net in the 25th minute, wrong-footing Stanley Nwabali to give the Bafana the lead and great impetus.

Defender Calvin Bassey showed immense fighting spirit and resilience to get Nigeria back into the game with a minute left of the first period, when he ran with the ball upfront.

The ball found Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, whose pull-out Bassey met firmly to nod past Ronwen Williams for the leveller.

The second half promised so much but delivered little, though substitute Tolu Arokodare and Dele-Bashiru had opportunities to win it for Nigeria.

The draw means the Super Eagles are now on 11 points from eight matches, with their next game away to Lesotho at the same venue in South Africa on October 10, 2025.