Can Nigeria’s Super Eagles Still Qualify for World Cup 2026?
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Nigeria’s World Cup Qualification Hopes Hang in the Balance
Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are up in the air. The Super Eagles, runners-up at the last AFCON, have yet to secure a single victory after four rounds of matches in CAF Group C, with a 2-1 defeat to Benin being their most recent result after three straight draws in their preceding matches. The side has now failed to win any of their last seven World Cup qualification matches, a concerning and unwanted stat that dates back to November 2021.
However, on a positive note, Nigeria’s performance in the latter part of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers has helped restore some morale within the team ahead of the World Cup qualifiers’ resumption in March 2025. During the AFCON qualifying, Nigeria notched up 10 points from four matches, including victories over Benin and twice against Libya, while drawing goalless away to Rwanda. As a result, the Super Eagles' qualification chances for the World Cup remained alive, according to the latest World Cup betting odds.
One major setback in Nigeria’s preparations for the World Cup qualifiers was the postponement of the African Nations Championship (CHAN). The tournament, which is to be jointly staged by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, has been pushed back from 2024 to August 2025 to allow for the host nations to upgrade their infrastructure and facilities, bringing them up to standard to host a continental competition. CHAN would have allowed locally-based players in Nigeria to stake a claim to be included in the World Cup qualifier squad.
As it stands, Rwanda leads Group C with seven points, only marginally ahead of South Africa and Benin by a goal difference of one. Lesotho are also in the mix with five points from their four games, while the Super Eagles and Zimbabwe are the bottom two in the standings with three and two points, respectively. While there are still six games to go, there is a mountain standing between Nigeria and qualification, though it is not one that cannot be overcome, and you can follow every moment of their journey over the coming months via our World Cup livescores.
Caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen is leading the squad after the contentious departure of Finidi George, and while results have been solid under his watch, the true test will come in the coming weeks. The overarching feeling by most fans and followers of the Super Eagles is that they have to win their remaining games in the competition to secure one of the nine berths set aside for African representatives in the competition to be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada next year.
Don't forget to check out our experts' World Cup qualifier predictions before the competition resumes on March 17.
