Nigeria’s Super Eagles still retain a chance, albeit a slim one, to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A possibility is emerging, even though their destiny is no longer within their control. It painfully slipped away in Bloemfontein last Tuesday.
Their potential path now relies on various permutations, earnest prayers, and calculations. One viable option is for the team to secure victories in their last two matches – one away against the already eliminated Lesotho in South Africa and the other, a home game against Benin, a serious contender.
The situation unfolds as follows: If Nigeria wins both remaining matches with significant goal margins and South Africa loses theirs, the Super Eagles will top the Group C standings!
The proposed high scores will allow them to overcome the goal difference advantage that South Africa currently holds, in the event of a points tie should South Africa lose their remaining matches to the already eliminated Zimbabwe and the competitive Rwanda.
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The challenge here is that both matches and the Lesotho versus Nigeria clash will take place on South African soil. Alternatively, by winning both matches with substantial scorelines and South Africa leading the table, the Super Eagles could reach a maximum of 17 points and potentially rank among the top four runners-up due to the expected high goal difference.
This would lead them through the lengthy process of continental and inter-continental play-offs. This scenario resembles “winning the lottery twice”—extremely improbable. Striving to rank high among the potential runners-up appears to be a more feasible option. However, this route is also significantly challenging.
Even with the maximum points (17), Nigeria would still fall behind teams like Gabon, Madagascar, Congo, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and Uganda.
In a nutshell, Nigeria’s journey is fraught with obstacles. The Super Eagles will require substantial goal margin victories in both matches and hope South Africa loses their two games against Zimbabwe and Rwanda.
