Africa How Nigeria Can Still Qualify for 2026 World Cup After Lesotho Win

The Digest:

Despite a nervy performance, Nigeria's path to the 2026 World Cup remains open, though it hangs by a thread. The Super Eagles' 2-1 victory over Lesotho keeps their hopes alive, but they must now defeat Benin Republic in their final match and rely on other results to secure an automatic spot or a potential playoff berth.

Key Points:

• The Super Eagles beat Lesotho 2-1 with goals from Troost-Ekong and Akor Adams.
• Nigeria sits third in Group C with 14 points, behind Benin (17) and South Africa (15).
• Automatic qualification requires a win against Benin and a South Africa draw/loss to Rwanda.
• A playoff spot is possible due to Eritrea's withdrawal from the qualifiers.
• CAF may exclude results against bottom teams when ranking second-place finishers.
• This rule change could benefit Nigeria, which dropped points against Zimbabwe and Lesotho.
• The final group match against the Benin Republic is a must-win encounter in Uyo.

The road to the World Cup is narrow and fraught with dependency, turning the final match into a high-stakes battle where victory alone may not be enough.

Sources: Complete Sports, Soccernet